What does the word hegemonic mean in the political science text below?

Smaller coastal states formed regional naval security alliances to counter the hegemonic aspirations of imperial powers competing for maritime trade corridors.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. exercising dominant political or military leadership

  1. Step 1: Analyze context: smaller nations banded together to balance against imperial powers attempting to exert dominance over shipping lanes.
  2. Step 2: 'Hegemonic' means ruling or dominant in a political, social, or military context.
Answer
exercising dominant political or military leadership.
Why not the others: 'seeking complete diplomatic isolation and neutrality' describes isolationism; 'economically impoverished and vulnerable to collapse' describes failed states; 'strictly cooperative and egalitarian in governance' describes democratic multilateralism, the opposite of hegemony.

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