In the Hegemon’s Shadow: Leading States and the Rise of Regional Powers by Evan Braden Montgomery

Much of the focus of Realist theories on international politics has been on politics between the great powers. Most Realists are quite explicit about this bias. Both Kenneth N. Waltz, the father of Neorealism, and John J. Mearsheimer, the leading proponent of offensive Realism, have argued that a theory of international politics has to be written concentrating on the great powers because they affect other states and the international system far more than any other actors in the system. This utilitarian bias may have been understandable for their purpose, which was to write a general theory of international politics, but it is not particularly useful in trying to explain international politics within regions.