Hegemonic stability theory

Hegemonic stability theory is a theory that helps us understand why some relationships between countries are better than others. The basic idea is that when one country (called the "hegemon") is much stronger or wealthier than the other countries around it, then that country can act as a kind of leader. The other countries will want to cooperate with the hegemon and make decisions that they they think will help keep the relationship strong. This cooperation makes the entire region more stable and helps to prevent conflict between countries.