Redefining the status quo state: collective support, order-maintenance, and self-restraint

The concept of the status quo state within international relations (IRs) has garnered less scholarly attention compared to the concept of the revisionist state. Traditionally, status quo states are portrayed as defensive and cooperative actors that uphold established international norms. However, their potential for interventionism and offensive behavior has been largely overlooked. By situating the concept of the status quo state within the context of normative orders from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, this article proposes three key indicators for its conceptual identification: seeking ‘collective support’ to legitimize their actions against perceived or actual revisionist threats; pursuing a clearly defined goal of ‘order-maintenance’ by restoring regional and/or global normative orders; and exhibiting ‘self-restraint,’ not necessarily by limiting the use of force, but by restricting the objectives of such force to preserving international order. This analytical framework aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of states’ status quo-seeking in both regional and global contexts.