Power POliticsRudresh Kumar Singh and Sakshi Malhotra(Students of 2nd Sem, B.A. LL.B)

Realism in Terms of Power

• Realism is a school of thought that explains international relations in term of power. It is based on the dominance that is each state must rely on its own power and less reliance on other states.

• Realistic approach developed in reaction to idealism that emphasizes international law, morality and international organizations than power alone.

• Realistic approach came in to picture after second word war when idealism was criticized for looking too much at how the world ought to be instead of how it really is.

Difference between the Realism and Idealism

• According to Realistic Approach human nature is selfish whereas in Idealism human nature is altruistic.

• Most important factor in Realistic approach is ‘States’ whereas in Idealism there are States and others including individuals.

• In realism the cause of State behavior is Rational pursuit of self- interest and in Idealism the cause is psychological motives of decision makers.

• Nature of International System in Realism is Anarchy whereas in Idealism it is community.

Power

• Power is defined as the ability to get another actor to do what it would not otherwise have done.

• In layman language the ability to get things done in the way you want is Power.

• Population, territory, military force and GDP are some of the indicators of state’s power.

• Power can be of two types-

1) Material Power

2) Soft Power

• Material Power- A state tangible capabilities (including military force) represent material power.

• Soft power- Power that depends on non material elements like national will, diplomatic skill, popular support for the government.

Anarchy and Sovereignty

• Realist believes that international system exists in state of Anarchy. Here state of Anarchy implies not complete chaos or absence of structure and rules but rather the lack of central government that can enforce rules.

• The power of one state can be countered only by the power of another state, hence states must rely on self help.

• National Interest in the state of Anarchy is the goals which states pursue to maximize what they perceive to be selfishly best for their country.

• Sovereignty means the government has right, in principle, to do whatever it wants in its own territory. In sovereignty States are separate and autonomous. States are not supposed to interfere in the internal affairs of the other states.

• Lack of world police to punish the States if they break an agreement makes enforcement of international agreement difficult.

• Respect for the territorial integrity is an important principle of IR.

• What are the effect of informational technology on territorial integrity?

• Security Dilemma- A situation in which actions taken by the states to ensure their own security threaten the security of other states. It enhances arm race. It is the negative consequences of Anarchy in International System.

Balance of Power

• Balance of Power is a general concept which refers one or more states’ power being used balance that of another state or group of states.

• It can refer to the process by which counterbalancing coalitions have repeatedly formed in history to prevent one state from conquering the entire region.

• Balance of power brings sustainability in international system. It doesn’t imply peace, bit rather a stability maintained by recurring wars that adjust power relations.

• Alliances are the best way of balancing the powers.

• States don’t always balance against the strongest power. Here concept of ‘Bandwagoning’ comes into light.

Great Power/Powers and Middle Powers

• The most powerful State exerts most influence on International system.

Handful of states posses the majority of the world’s power resources.

• Great power are generally considered the half dozen or so most powerful states.

• Generally it has the world’s strongest military and the strongest economies.

• U.S.A is the world’s only superpower.

• China world’s largest population, rapid economic growth and a large military forces with a credible nuclear arsenals.

• Middle Powers- Rank somewhat below the great powers. Some middle countries are large but not highly industrialized, other may be small with special capabilities.

• Examples of large and influential countries India, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria etc. and midsized countries are Canada, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and Australia etc.

HEGEMONY

• Hegemony, from the Greek hegemón(guide, ruler, leader) and hegemonia(rule, leadership), denotes the preeminent influence a state, social class, group, or individual exercises over others.

• In modern context this term was first time used by Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci to refer to the complex ideas that rulers use to gain consent for their legitimacy and keep the subject in line, thus reducing the use of force for the same.

• It is the holding by one state of a preponderance of power in the international system, so that it can single handedly dominate the rules and arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted.

APPROACHES OF HEGEMONY

• CONVENTIONAL APPROACH

• NEOLIBERAL APPROACH

• GRAMSCIAN APPROACH

CONVENTIONAL APPROACH

• Used to signify a condition of disequilibrium of power in the international system, in which one state becomes so powerful that can exercise leadership in or dominance over the international system .

• In this state, often referred to as hegemon, hegemonic power or imperial power, has therefore the capacity to exercise fundamental control over the structures of the international system, as well as the (international) behaviour of its constitutive units.

• The factors on which the superiority of the hegemon may lie include geography, natural resources, industrial, financial and in general economic capacity, military capacity and preparedness, population (including both quantitative and qualitative aspects such as education), morale and unity, quality of diplomacy and government, technological innovation etc.

NEO-LIBERAL APPROACH

• Challenged the ‘Hegemonic Stability Theory’

• Shifted the focus from analysis of the hegemony (i.e. the hegemon) to the conditions and mechanisms of its operation.

• Believed in the role of international institutions in IR

• Believed that though a hegemon may be needed to form an International Institution in IR but it can function even after the collapse of hegemon.

• Theory believed that Hegemony can outlive hegemon itself .

GRAMSCIAN APPROACH

• Argued that there are two types of political control: domination that is based on coercion, and hegemony that is based on consent.

• Stated that hegemony in international system move from a state-centric reading of the world system, where social forces are seen through national lens.

• The Gramscian approach locates the subject of hegemony not in a powerful state but in transnational social forces that dominate in the mode of production. Without diminishing the importance of material power and dominance over material resources, it understands hegemony not in terms of coercion, but in terms of consent, shared beliefs and commonsense.

• Described hegemony as a combination of consent and coercion.

RADICAL APPROACH

• Hegemony is a discursive order, i.e. it consists of a set of practices that has acquired an independent dynamic which is not reducible to the social forces that gave birth to it in the first place.

• They conceptualize hegemony as a new international order that ‘becomes an integral, vital function that every individual embraces and reactivates of his or her own accord.

• Therefore, they do not locate the subject of hegemony in any powerful state or group of states, or factor of production, but directly at the level of the individual.

GREAT POWER SYSTEM

• Balance of power theory asserts that the most effective check on the power of a state is the power of other states.

• Multiple states can form a balance of power when alliances are fluid—that is, when they are easily formed or broken on the basis of expediency, regardless of values, religion, history, or form of government. Occasionally a single state plays a balancer role, shifting its support to oppose whatever state or alliance is strongest. Britain played this role in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in its relations with France, Russia, and Germany.

• Two states can balance against each other by matching their increases in military capability. In the Cold War, the Soviet Union and United States both expanded their nuclear arsenals to balance against each other.

ALLIANCES

• Coilation of States that coordinate together to accomplish some goals.

• Are fluid in nature and may shift with the shifting national interest. Also known as marriage of convenience.

• Usually formed to augment the power of its member states so that they can bargain with other states.

• More important for smaller states as they get security against the enemy states.

IMPORTANT ALLIANCES

• TRIPLE ALLIANCE

• TRIPLE ENTENTE

• NATO

• WARSAW PACT

• US-JAPAN TREATY

• NAM(referring as a peaceful alliance)

• BRICS(Economic alliance)

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

• We’ll try to understand the concept through an example.

• Two people have been arrested and are held in separate cells. They are not allowed to communicate with each other at all.

• Each of the prisoner has been told that they are arrested for committing the crime together.

• If both prisoners confess then they will be sentenced for 5 years.

• If prisoner A confess and prisoner B doesn’t or vice versa, prisoner who confessed will be let free and other will be sentenced for 20 years.

• If both don’t confess, each will be awarded 1 year sentence.

• Prisoner’s dilemma is a non-zero sum game.

• A zero-sum game is one in which the players' interests are in direct conflict, e.g. in football, one team wins and the other loses; payoffs sum to zero.

• A game is non-zero-sum, if players interests are not always in direct conflict, so that there are opportunities for both to gain.

• For example, when both players choose Don't Confess in the Prisoners' Dilemma.

• India and Pakistan nuclear arm race is one of the example of Prison’s dilemma.

Thank You