This book investigates how domestic political debates and competing schools of thought within China, India, Iran, Japan, and Russia shape their respective foreign policy trajectories during a period of shifting global influence. Editors Deepa M. Ollapally and Henry R. Nau assemble a team of regional experts to analyze the internal ideological frameworks—such as nationalism, realism, and globalism—that drive state behavior. By examining the historical and institutional origins of these national perspectives, the authors provide a comparative framework for understanding how rising powers define their interests in a post-hegemonic international system.

Experts identify this work as a foundational text for understanding the internal political dynamics that underpin international power transitions. Scholars frequently note the systematic approach of the essays, which makes the text highly accessible for both academic research and classroom instruction.