According to Ellis-Christensen (2014), “The term hegemony refers to the leadership, domination, or great influence that one entity or group of people exercises over others . » Hegemony comes from the Greek word hegeisthai which means to rule. Years ago, this term was often used to refer to a country or state that exercised power over other city-states or countries indirectly, as opposed to using military force. In modern times, the word hegemony often refers to the ability of one group in society to exert power over others within the same society. A good example would be the rich class, where we see them exerting hegemony over the poor in society due to their ability to use available resources to influence many aspects of society and government. Individuals capable of exercising power over others in society are called hegemons. The term hegemony is generally used in reference to the power of a single group in a society to dominate and rule other groups in society. This is done in several ways, such as influencing government leaders, controlling forms of communication, or influencing voters. Take for example certain pressure groups, which could have hegemonic status over certain leaders in power. To limit political spending by special interest groups, certain rules are designed to reduce their dominance and allow individual voters to have more control. In modern times, a single country can also be considered hegemonic if it possesses enough power to influence the way other countries behave in the international system. Hegemonic states, such as the mid-19th century British Empire and the 21st century United States, exert extraordinary influence over many other countries. The hegem...... middle of paper ...... members of the historical bloc. As soon as counter-hegemonic activities gain influence or rather coerce hegemons, consent ceases to be a means of governing people. Hegemons have the ability to act unilaterally when it comes to pursuing their own interests. This decision raises hope among national actors and officials that the government will do whatever is necessary when national interests are at stake. Hegemons also have a role to play in maintaining the international order provided by the international law or international institutions. This ensures a fair distribution of power and avoids the rise of conflicts. In this context, we see hegemons in a position where they must follow the rules and regulations of the institutions they helped establish. Doing otherwise undermines the existence of these institutions, even if it is not in its interest to do so..