Abstract This paper examines how the domestic politics of small South Asian states shape, and are shaped by, the hegemonic competition between China and India. While existing neoclassical realism emphasizes domestic politics as a mediating variable that explains a stateʼs own foreign policy behavior, it rarely considers how the domestic politics of small states can influence the strategic actions of major powers. This study modifies the neoclassical realist framework to incorporate the reciprocal effects between small-state domestic politics and regional power rivalry. Through a series of comparative cases, the paper analyzes security-related interactions through the lens of relative gains and economic cooperation through the lens of absolute gains. The findings show that local political factions, nationalist discourses, electoral incentives, and public sentiment, particularly pro- or anti-Indian and pro- or anti-Chinese orientations, constrain or enable the policy options of China and India in significant ways. At the same time, the strategic moves of these major powers reshape the domestic political environments of small states, producing a cyclical pattern of influence. By highlighting the agency of small states and the bidirectional nature of regional politics, this study provides a more comprehensive explanation of South Asiaʼs evolving geopolitical landscape and expands the analytical scope of neoclassical realism.
Samimuzzaman (Tue,) studied this question.