1. Balancing as a commitment problem -- 2. Balancing and buck-passing I : a dynamic model with uncertainty -- 3. Balancing and buck-passing II : Western Europe in the 1930s -- 4. To bandwagon or hide I : a theoretical examination of the alternatives to balancing -- 5. To bandwagon or hide II : East Central Europe before World War II -- 6. Balancing and bandwagoning by other means : how the outbreak of war affects states' responses to threats -- 7. The rise of China : will states balance, bandwagon, or hedge in the South China Sea today?

"The rise of China is changing the strategic landscape globally and regionally. How states respond to potential threats posed by this new power arrangement will be crucial to international relations for the coming decades. This book builds on existing realist and rationalist concepts of balancing, bandwagoning, commitment problems, and asymmetric information to craft explanations about how states respond when faced with potential threats. Specifically, the book explores the role different types of uncertainty play in potential balancing situations. Particular focus is paid to the nature of the rising state's actions, the balance of forces, and the value of delay"-- Provided by publisher.