▁that ▁the ▁best ▁way ▁to ▁ensure ▁their ▁security ▁is ▁to ▁achieve ▁h eg em ony ▁now , ▁thus ▁elimin ating ▁any ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁challenge ▁by ▁another ▁great ▁power . ▁Only ▁a ▁mis gu ided ▁state ▁would ▁pass ▁up ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁h eg emon ▁in ▁the ▁system ▁because ▁it ▁thought ▁it ▁already ▁had ▁sufficient ▁power ▁to ▁surv ive ." ▁According ly , ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ists ▁such ▁as ▁M ear she imer ▁believe ▁that ▁a ▁state ' s ▁best ▁strategy ▁to ▁increase ▁its ▁relative ▁power ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁ach ieving ▁h eg em ony ▁is ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁off ensive ▁tact ics . ▁Prov ided ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁rational ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁act ▁ag gress ively , ▁great ▁powers ▁will ▁likely ▁purs ue ▁expansion ist ▁policies , ▁which ▁will ▁bring ▁them ▁closer ▁to ▁h eg em ony . ▁Since ▁global ▁h eg em ony ▁is ▁nearly ▁impossible ▁to ▁att ain ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁constraints ▁of ▁power ▁projection ▁across ▁o ce ans ▁and ▁ret ali ation ▁forces , ▁the ▁best ▁end ▁game ▁status ▁states ▁can ▁hope ▁to ▁reach ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁regional ▁h eg emon ▁domin ating ▁its ▁own ▁ge ographical ▁area . ▁This ▁rel ent less ▁quest ▁for ▁power ▁inher ently ▁generates ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁" constant ▁security ▁competition , ▁with ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁war ▁always ▁in ▁the ▁background ". ▁Only ▁once ▁regional ▁h eg em ony ▁is ▁att ained ▁do ▁great ▁powers ▁become ▁status ▁qu o ▁states . ▁ ▁Bal ancing ▁v . ▁bu ck