▁in ▁all ▁instances ▁of ▁multip olar ity ▁except ▁for ▁those ▁that ▁include ▁a ▁potential ▁h eg emon . ▁ ▁Res pond ing ▁to ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ists ' ▁post ure ▁on ▁state ▁behaviour ▁towards ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁system , ▁M ear she imer ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁threatened ▁states ▁will ▁rel uct antly ▁eng age ▁in ▁bal ancing ▁against ▁potential ▁h eg em ons ▁but ▁that ▁bal ancing ▁coal itions ▁are ▁unlikely ▁to ▁form ▁against ▁a ▁great ▁power ▁that ▁has ▁achieved ▁regional ▁h eg em ony . ▁This ▁lack ▁of ▁bal ancing ▁is ▁best ▁explained ▁by ▁the ▁regional ▁h eg emon ' s ▁newly ▁acquired ▁status ▁qu o ▁st ance , ▁which ▁follows ▁from ▁the ▁ge ographical ▁constraints ▁on ▁its ▁power ▁projection ▁cap ability . ▁Instead ▁of ▁re lying ▁on ▁off ensive ▁actions , ▁a ▁regional ▁h eg emon ▁finds ▁itself ▁in ▁a ▁def ensive ▁position ▁seeking ▁to ▁a vert ▁thre ats ▁to ▁its ▁h eg em onic ▁status ▁by ▁prevent ing ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁any ▁peer ▁compet itors ▁in ▁other ▁areas . ▁As ▁such ▁it ▁will ▁behave ▁as ▁an ▁off sh ore ▁bal ancer , ▁passing ▁the ▁bu ck ▁to ▁local ▁neighb ours ▁of ▁the ▁potential ▁h eg emon ▁and ▁eng aging ▁in ▁bal ancing ▁only ▁as ▁a ▁last ▁resort . ▁ ▁Cont ribution s ▁and ▁criticism ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁represents ▁an ▁important ▁contribution ▁to ▁international ▁relations ▁theory ▁yet ▁also ▁generated ▁important ▁criticism . ▁While ▁the ▁inputs ▁and