One of the abiding features of international relations and history is competition and rivalry between great powers—countries (and empires in the past) that have global influence, based on key indicators of power: military, economic, diplomatic, and technological. Contemporary great power competition is centered especially around the United States and China, and manifests through tensions and confrontations across a range of sectors and areas, such as: in the South China Sea; the semi-conductor industry and broader technological competition; global tariffs, as part of economic statecraft. Meanwhile, traditional conventional military and nuclear weapons strategies remain an integral part of the competition. This is especially true of the second such contemporary dyad, the traditional great power rivalry between the West and Russia, which emerged from the ideological confrontation during the Cold War.

Key issues that are covered in this course include: how do we conceptualize great powers? What are the strategies pursued by these powers, including regional alliances? How do middle and regional powers react to great power competition? What are the implications of great power rivalry for regional and global stability? How does the emergence of the cyber realm impact great power competition?