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In a hegemonic relationship, two polities have an unequal relationship with each other. Should the client state be considered a part of the hegemonic state.

There are number of tests I use to determine whether client state is considered indepedent or part of the hegemon.

1. Can the hegemon remove the ruler of the client state?
2. Does the client state maintain a distinct foreign policy?
3. Does the client state maintain a distinct administration?
4. Does the client state have its own military and if does can be called upon freely by the hegemon?
5. Does the hegemon collect taxes from the client state?

These tests are problematic in practice (you don’t know if you remove a ruler until you try) but they provide some guidance. In future posts, I will consider some specific cases.