Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.6, No.6 Publication Date: June. 25, 2019 DoI:10.14738/assrj.66.6686. Dickson, M. E. (2019). Great Powers and the Quest for Hegemony in the Contemporary International System. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 6(6) 168-176. Copyright © Society for Science and Education, United Kingdom 168 Great Powers and the Quest for Hegemony in the Contemporary International System Monday E. Dickson, PhD Department of Political Science, Akwa Ibom State University, Obio Akpa Campus, Nigeria ABSTRACT In global politics, the role as well as rise and fall of Great Powers, which often lead to the structural transformation in the international system have undoubtedly been at the heart of international political discourse. Soon after the Cold War, international system witnessed a transition from bipolar to unipolar system of hegemony, in which the United States-led Western coalition largely set and enforced the rules of the international order. However, later on, the global system eventually returned to a state of sharper and more explicit great-power competition. This study identifies states that vie for Great Power status in the contemporary world politics and explore their relative military, economic and other resources necessary for a state to be recognized as highly independent Great Power. The paper argues that although a number of states, particularly Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom and Germany represent global economic powers, American preponderance in each of the core components of state power - military, economic, political and technological, dwarf those of other nations. This has had far-reaching implications on the international system and the world at large. With the decline in the American hyper-supremacy, other nations should be able to duplicate the overall reach and influence of the United States – in terms of economic, military, political and technological powers. Hence, the polycentric world with several power centre will ensure stability in the contemporary world order. Keywords: Great powers, post-Cold War Era, contemporary international system, rising powers, INTRODUCTION Since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 which, among other things, legitimized a commonwealth of sovereign States, marked the triumph of the stato in control of its internal affairs and independent externally and thus, represent the benchmark for the transformation of the international system from the medieval to modern form (Buzan & Little, 1999, pp. 89- 104; Watson, 2009, p. 168). And in the overall discipline of International Relations (IR), the concept of Great Power occupies central position. In other words, Great Power system have been privileged object and subject of academic discourse and strategic planning. Consequently, great deal of attentions have been paid to identifying, classifying, explaining and understanding states that are considered Great Powers, as well as exploring the causes and consequences of relative rise and fall of such states in the international system. For instance, in the century between the Congress of Vienna and the outbreak of the World War I (WWI), international relations in Europe were largely dominated by five Great Powers: Austria (after 1867 Austria-Hungary), France, Great Britain, Prussia (after 1871 Germany) and Russia. During this period, the Great Powers jealously guarded their status and were at all times disinclined to admit new members into their ranks. They dominated the diplomacy and warfare of Europe and engaged in a series of lengthy coalition wars punctuated by swiftly changing alliances. The dominance of the five or six powers over such a long period gave an