This choice between balancing and bandwagoning is not binary but rather falls along a spectrum. States can aggressively balance or fully kowtow, but they can also soft balance, attempt to be neutral, and pursue a range of other policies between the poles of full resistance and submission. A state’s ideal policy is often to free ride—to stay out of the conflict and hope that the balancing coalition succeeds in checking the aspirant’s bid for hegemony.
