This critical analysis of long-term trends and recent developments in world systems examines such questions as: Will the cycles of boom and bust, peace and war of the past 500 years continue? Or have either long-term trends or recent changes so profoundly altered the structure of world systems that these cycles will end or take on a less destructive form?

The noted international contributors to this volume examine the question of future dominance of the core global systems and include comprehensive discussions of the economic, political and military role of the Pacific Rim, Japan and the former Soviet Union.

Introduction - Christopher Chase-Dunn and Volker Bornschier
The Future of Hegemonic Rivalry in Perspective
PART ONE: DIFFERENT PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
From Leadership to Organization - George Modelski
The Evolution of Global Politics
The Next World War - Christopher Chase-Dunn and Bruce Podobnik
World-System Cycles and Trends
Beyond Cycles of Hegemony - Walter L Goldfrank
Economic, Social and Military Factors
Hegemonic Transition, West European Unification and the Future Structure of the Core - Volker Bornschier
PART TWO: POST-WAR SHIFTS IN THE WORLD POLITICAL ECONOMY
Global Cooperation or Rival Trade Blocs? - Gerd Junne
Clashes of Life Spaces and Other Logics of Hegemonic Rivalry - Tieting Su
Who Has the Most Fortune 500 Firms? A Network Analysis of Global Economic Competition, 1956-89 - Albert Bergesen and Roberto Fernandez
Twenty-Fifty - John Borrego
The Hegemonic Moment of Global Capitalism
PART THREE: PROSPECTS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE HEGEMONS
Japan - A Hegemonic Power? Reflections on Economic Success and Possible Political Futures - Yasusada Yawata
Germany, the United States and Future Intercore Conflict - Brigitte Schulz
Future Hegemonic Rivalry between China and the West? - Erich Weede
PART FOUR: LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD
Hegemony and Bifurcation Points in World History - Terry Boswell
Technological Change, Globalization and Hegemonic Rivalry - Volker Bornschier and Christopher Chase-Dunn