The Formation of the BRICS and Its Implication for the United States: Emerging Together

The Formation of the BRICS and Its Implication for the United States: Emerging Together
Authors: Mark E. Schaefer, John G. Poffenbarger
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot New York
Publication Year: 2014
 

About this Book

The Formation of the BRICS and Its Implication for the United States: Emerging Together provides a concise yet analytically rich examination of how the BRICS coalition—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—affects global power structures and, specifically, U.S. strategic interests. Mark E. Schaefer and John G. Poffenbarger investigate whether the BRICS grouping represents a soft or hard balancing coalition against American unipolarity, drawing upon established theories of international relations, including balancing behavior and functionalism in the creation of international organizations.

The authors argue that the emergence of the BRICS is closely tied to reactions to U.S. foreign policy and global governance patterns in the post–Cold War era. Through an exploration of the balancing literature, the book outlines the spectrum of possible strategies—from diplomatic coordination and institutional alignment (soft balancing) to more formalized, cohesive opposition to American influence. The BRICS, as portrayed in this analysis, remain an informal and internally diverse organization whose ability to institutionalize deeper cooperation will determine their effectiveness as a counterweight to the United States.

Key chapters examine whether the BRICS function as a unified bloc, how they operate in practice, and their evolving engagement with Africa through development initiatives. The book concludes with an assessment of the BRICS’ real impact on U.S. global power and discusses potential American responses aimed at maintaining strategic primacy while minimizing incentives for challenging coalitions.

This work is particularly valuable for students and scholars of international relations, global governance, and U.S. foreign policy, offering a theoretically grounded perspective on one of the most consequential geopolitical groupings of the 21st century.

Contents

Introduction: Are These BRICS for Building?

Are the BRICS a Sum of Their Parts?

The BRICS in Action, Well Maybe

The Power of Development and the Africa Strategy

Are These BRICS for Real? The Impact on the United States and the US Response