regional hegemony

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the dominant position of a single state within a geographically defined region, whereby that state possesses sufficient military, economic, and political preponderance to shape the behaviour of neighbouring states and set the rules of regional order; regional hegemons may exercise their dominance through direct coercion, institutional leadership, economic dependency, or the projection of a regional identity aligned with their own values and interests; examples include India in South Asia, Brazil in South America, and Germany in the European Union economy, each of which exercises influence that smaller regional states must accommodate in their own foreign policies