The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
Doesn't this trope count as a subtrope of The Empire? Why is The Empire described as Hegemonic Empire's Shadow Archetype?
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Because The Empire refers to villainous militaristic empires while a Hegemonic Empire is an empire in the same way that the United States of America is an empire.
That is a geographically and ethnically diverse group of states ruled by a single person or group without using military force.
From The Other Wiki: "An imperial political structure is established and maintained in two ways: (i) as a territorial empire of direct conquest and control with force (direct, physical action to compel the emperor's goals), and (ii) as a coercive, hegemonic empire of indirect conquest and control with power (the perception that the emperor can physically enforce his desired goals). The former provides greater tribute and direct political control, yet limits further expansion because it absorbs military forces to fixed garrisons. The latter provides less tribute and indirect control, but avails military forces for further expansion.[2] Territorial empires (e.g. the Mongol Empire, the Median Empire) tended to be contiguous areas. The term on occasion has been applied to maritime empires or thalassocracies, (e.g. the Athenian and British Empires) with looser structures and more scattered territories."
Most real Empires have been both of these. Including Rome and Brittan, which are often the basis for the Fictional Military Empires.
Possible page quote? Maybe a bit long?