domino theory

domino theory

1. The political theory that, if one country or area adopts communism, then the surrounding ones will as well. The domino theory was a major concern as the Soviet Union expanded its power after World War II.
2. By extension, the idea that an event in one country will result in similar events in the surrounding countries. The string of revolutions that occurred in neighboring countries during the Arab Spring was a great example of domino theory in action.
See also: domino, theory
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • (the) survival of the fittest
  • survival
  • survival of the fittest
  • in practice
  • the butterfly effect
  • there is no royal road to learning
  • in theory
  • effect
  • gussied up, to get (all)
  • look good on paper
References in periodicals archive
In hindsight, the connection between the various countries of Southeast Asia is less predictable than the domino theory asserted.
During the Cold War a "Domino Theory" concerning the fall of countries into the camp of communism was frequently used to justify political or even military intervention.
One of the arguments for the Vietnam War was the so-called domino theory. If South Vietnam was to fall to the Communists, other countries in South-East Asia would tumble before Communist insurgency.
Central to the war in Vietnam was the logic of the "domino theory", namely that if Vietnam fell to communism other Asian states would follow, thus endangering US national security.
McNamara admitted that the US administrations of Kennedy and Johnson failed to address "the fundamental issues", while hiding behind the discredited "domino theory" that if Vietnam went communist, the whole of SouthEast Asia would follow.
Rumors of devaluation in Latvia have lead to a domino theory being discussed by the media.
Summary: Easing Dubai Anxieties Requires Greater Transparency; Domino Theory; How Can Architects Survive the Recession?; Three Kinds of Meetings; Shoot the Recession; 12 Creative Business Cards
"Look at Dominos Pizza, their sales are up 18.4 per cent on last years numbers." Expanding on the Domino Theory, Lock reads out some market-update insight on the Pizza brand: "we are benefiting from recession-hit consumers staying in to save money and switching to take-aways instead of dining out or going to the pub," he says.
These were times when if you spoke of a downward thrust of Communism or the domino theory you were laughed out of court.
America was motivated by the domino theory, which held that the fall of Vietnam would lead to one communist victory after another throughout the world.
Moyar announces that "the domino theory was valid," that Vietnam was "a wise war fought under foolish constraints," and that the United States could have won the war early on had it stuck with Diem and invaded Laos and North Vietnam--bold moves that would have provoked "a Chinese abstention from the fighting." He further announces that the stakes were enormous.
He's not afraid to attack sacred cows and does his best to dispel myths such as the Domino Theory and the sins of Diem.
With the vast, vast majority of Americans, the quoted Lutherans were anti-Communist, and most of them were taught by the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon presidential administrations to see the Vietnam War in the context of the "domino theory," a theory that saw Vietnam as one of the dominoes which, if left to fall, would lead to more drastic falls.
Japanese politicians should speak out against the nuclear domino theory, not go along with it.
But, as the domino theory would have it, and in the spirit of a nuclear chain reaction, there are also three other kinds of people--those who pronounce Hawaii [special font needed], those who pronounce it [special font needed], and those--"he shuddered here--"who pronounce it [special font needed]." He shot me a sniper's squint.