An alignment is considered as any general commitment between states in order to achieve mutual security goals. Its objectives are cooperation and collaboration that are broad and vague rather than narrow and explicit (Krause and Singer, 2001: 16; Snyder, 1990: 105). A coalition is characterized by the commitment of two or more states to coordinate their behavior and policies in order to perform particular functions or pursue specific goals. It is often formed during a war (Snyder, 1990: 106).

Within the balance of power politics, there is another strategy employed by states; bandwagoning. Bandwagoning refers to aligning with or joining the powerful actor toward protecting itself from fear and attack, even if this means insecurity and a certain sacrifice from its independence. In fact one can differentiate between two types of bandwagoning: defensive and offensive. In defensive bandwagoning, which is a form of appeasement, a state aligns with a threatening power to avoid being attacked. Offensive bandwagoning is alignment with a dominant state for the payoffs.