ASSIGNMENT #1 POWER

SUBMITTED BY: HANIYA CHEEMA & HAFSA AIJAZ

COURSE: BASICS OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

SUBMITTED TO: MS. NUDRAT BANO

 POWER
In layman terms, power is having the capability of exercising authority/control over social
behavior and course of events. However, in the light of International politics the definition can
be reproduced: Power is being capable enough to control or govern the behavior of a state’s
political counterpart, and manipulate the political course of events according to its national
interests.

In International Relations, power can be defined by three different schools of thought:

 Realism

 Idealism

 Liberalism

REALISM:

This approach dates back to the 18th century, when the realist painters rejected ‘romanticism’
which had come to dominate French literature and art. However, it became more popular during
the post-war period, and came to be known as ‘Neo-realism’ in the literature of political science.
This modified version of the approach focused solely on the concept of power.
Neo-Realism is a school of thought that accentuates the competitive and controversial side of
politics. In fact, most wars were waged on the bases of realist ideologies.
The basis of Realism lies in the principles of dominance, which says that interactions between
states are motivated by enhancement of power, security, and influence.
Unlike Idealists, Realists believe in portraying the real picture of politics. They argue that
wishful thinking cannot change the current political scenario of the world. And can only be used
as a source of inspiration.
Realist theorist John J. Mearsheimer states that power can be defined by its two main
components:
1) latent power: that comprises of social and economic factors, which can not be quantified and
can only be observed.
2) military power: which is measurable and can be examined objectively.

Thus, it can be understood that all the socio-economic factors (religion, social integration, easy
access to basic facilities, GDP, etc) combined together form the basis of the military strength of
the country, which is then enhanced by other factors strictly pertaining to the military’s
hardware, technology and management.

IDEALISM:

Idealism is when you envision or see things in an ideal or perfect manner. Idealist theorists’ often
give a ‘romanticized’ or impractical view point when it comes to the concept of power.
Idealists approach the idea of power in an optimistic way, looking to rise above the political
agitation, and establish a more cosmopolitan and harmonious world order. Idealists focus on
voice of reason and support their theories based on moral and ethical grounds. They believe that
ultimate power lies in the devolution of education and democracy, which would eventually
empower public opinion, and make it a powerful force that no government can resist.

LIBERALISM:

This school of thought gained popularity during the cold war era, when the world had started to
analyze the drawbacks of radical-realism. Its foundations are set by concepts like individual
liberty, economic, social, religious and cultural freedom. Liberalists define power as the means
to be able to co-exist harmoniously. Similarly, they highlight the need and inter-dependence of
states in order to contest against states in a healthy, diplomatic way. As globalization flourishes,
the rise in global communication and the increasing dependence on economic trade, no longer
allows nations to resort to the use of military power to decide matters. For liberalists, diplomacy
is a key component of power.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEFINITIONS OF POWER:

The Realist Approach, although quite ‘honest’ in nature, depicting the true patterns of human
behavior, is still detrimental to the notion of world peace. The 20th century can be held witness of
the fact. Driven by realist hunger of securitizing their statuses and exercising authority, some
deathly wars were waged by different states.

The Idealist approach, on the other hand, extends to another extreme. It is impractical and the
goals of idealist ideology can never be achieved. Idealists wish to brainwash the entire human
race and eradicate the egocentric nature of man.

However, liberalism is the most commonly accepted alternative theoretical perspective to both,
realism and idealism. Concepts from both these approaches are somewhat inculcated into the
liberalist approach. Liberalism seeks to conquer ‘power’ through democratic and diplomatic
means. Similarly, this ideology has made the dynamics of power more diverse, in a positive way.
Instead of focusing on military power, the world is now shifting its focus to educational,
economic and social strength. Thus, cooperation, peace and progress for all.

 SOURCES OF POWER:

Power comes from numerous sources, each of which has different effects on the targets of that
power.

1. ECONOMIC POWER:

The ability to influence other states through economic means. It is composed of a country's
industrial base, natural resources, technology, geo-politics, and education system. Economic
power can be explained as the ability to control or influence the behavior of others through the
politically motivated use of economic assets. In simple words, the most economically equipped
states head the global politics.
 2. MILITARY POWER:

It involves the use of physical coercion to exercise authority. To many, when they think about
power in international relations, what first comes to mind is often the thought of military power;
the idea of weapons, tanks, airplanes, large standing armies, etc., have been the “face” of power in
international relations for many centuries. Democracies, monarchies, authoritarian regimes,
theocracies, alike have focused on military capabilities as one element of their overall power. In
fact, countries spend billions of dollars every year building up their military capabilities through
the purchase of weapons, as well as developing technology that can help continue to enhance their
military capabilities.

Within the idea of military capabilities is also the power associated with a specific type of military
power, namely, nuclear weapons. As it is explained,

“The continued development of nuclear weapons since World War II added a new dimension to
military capabilities, [even though] …conventional or nonnuclear military forces remain a vital
part of the calculus of a state’s military capabilities” (Viotti & Kauppi, 2013: 209).

3. EDUCATIONAL POWER:

A high-quality education sector is one of the important factors that contributes to a country's soft
power.

The outstanding quality of education is one of the factors that builds a country’s soft power in
international relations (IR) (Freeman and Louça, 2001; Perez, 2002)

4. TECHNOLOGICAL POWER:

Technological innovations have created new communication channels and an unprecedented level
of connectivity in a multitude of ways. Governments and states are in the race of attaining the
latest, state -of -the-art technologies, in order to secure their status and dominance
 KINDS OF POWER

HARD POWER

SOFT POWER

DOMINEERING POWER

COMPROMISING POWER

UNITED POWER

HARD POWER:

Hard power is the utilization of military and financial means to impact the conduct or interests of
other political bodies. It is the use of coercive means to attain desired results. Ernest Wilson
describes it as the capacity to coerce “another to act in ways in which that entity would not have
acted otherwise.

According to Realist scholars, power is connected with the ownership of specific assets, which
include populace, territory, natural assets, economic and military quality, among others. Hard
power describes a state’s ability to use economic incentives or military strength to influence
other political entities and states.

Example of hard power:

 United States of America:

The US military remains to this date the highest budgeted, spending around 40% of the
total amount spent globally on defense. This is about six times the budget of china, the
state which contains the 2nd highest budgeted military. With latest defense mechanisms
and state-of-the-art technology, America has successfully managed to emerge as one of
the world’s most formidable military powers.
An example of a region where the US exercised hard power would include the Iraq war
of 2003. It was a war based on pseudo-claims regarding Iraq’s possession of weapons of
mass destruction (WMD’s). The US penetrated the Iraqi air-space and carried out
numerous air-strikes, neutralizing their military installations. Similarly, US cavalry was
deployed to capture the lands.

SOFT POWER:

Soft power is a way of convincing others through dialogue and negotiation. Unlike hard power, it
discourages the use of coercive means to attain desired results or to manipulate the course of
events. Joseph S. Nye Jr. describes soft power as a force of attraction, the ability to shape the
preferences of others through logic, debate and tact. It is an indirect, more civil method of
securitizing a state’s national interest. Ingredients of soft power include:

 Public opinion
 Economy
 Education
 Technology
 Diplomacy
Example of soft power:

 China:
Being the world’s most populous country, and its second largest economy, China plays
its politics through diplomatic and peaceful means. It has successfully been able to
establish itself as an economic giant and a serious threat to the uni-polar nature of the
world politics. China has attained this status by years and years of soft-power practice.
The Chinese government remains committed to boost its economy, (for e.g. Bank of
China loan programs), to improve educational standard and create a diverse study
environment (foreign student exchange programs). Similarly, china is also investing
generously in researches and technological advancements.

DOMINEERING POWER:

The scenario in which the stronger state exploits the weaker state, and manipulates its
political behavior in order to suit its own requirements. Based on the principles of
dominance, such powers resort to methods of hard power in order to achieve their desired
results/goals.

Example of domineering power:

 United Nations:
Founded in 1945, the UN initially comprised of Britain, China, The Soviet Union
and the United States. The founding principles of the UN include:

1. Maintaining worldwide peace and security

2. Developing relations among nations
3. Fostering cooperation between nations in order to solve economic, social,
cultural, or humanitarian international problems
 4. Providing a forum for bringing countries together to meet the UN's purposes
and goals

The UN general assembly now caters to 193-member countries. Its purpose was to provide a
forum for interaction between countries and thereby facilitating resolutions of conflicts and
disputes internationally. As an international mediating body, UN has formed multiple
agencies to ensure global organization of various subjects. Some are listed below:

 WTO (World Trade Org.)

The international body to coordinate trade related laws and disputes between
the participating states.

 WHO (World Health Org.)

The international body to promote and facilitate health related initiatives
across the world.

 IMF (International Monetary Fund)

It is an international financial organization aimed at bringing financial
stability, trade facilitation and economic prosperity to reduce poverty around
the world.

COMPROMISING POWER:
When a dispute involves parties having similar strength, such that unilateral imposition of
solution is not possible. Both parties try to get the most concessions in the given scenario,
which may be dictated by the balance of power between the parties involved.
Examples would include countries like China, India, etc.
UNITED POWER:
United power is a power generated by a group of people sharing common goals, with a
certain conviction to achieve the collective goals. Power is transmitted horizontally in such
a scenario, and each state-representative is given the same amount of control over a political
situation. United power is dependent on the collective action and support of its population.

Example of United Power:

 European Union (EU):

A collaborative political and economic agreement of 28 European countries,
founded in 1993. Since, location of both world wars was Europe, several
nations got together for the initiative of peace and prosperity. The nations had
one goal, and the collective objective to attain that goal was what inspired the
creation of this multi-lingual and multi-cultural union.

The founding principles of the EU include:

1. Spread of peace and protection of human rights
2. Integrated elements of European economy
3. Free movement of capital goods and services
4. Effective single market emergence

The concept of power, in the light of International Relations, instills in one’s mind
numerous thoughts, perspectives and ideas. The different schools of thought also give an in-
depth account of the how and why power is viewed differently by various groups. Thus, it is
logical to say that power cannot be defined in one particular way, as it has multiple
meanings and different forms of power have different implications. However, one thing can
be determined from the understanding of the facts mentioned above. Domineering power,
the type of power which is often closely linked with the exercise of hard power (violence,
domination and forcefulness) cannot generate a united power for states to act harmoniously,
and neither can it introduce a compromising power, which could reach consensus through
dialogue and negotiation. Domineering powers, in 21 st century, can only act as catalyst of
war and conflict, as the global politics experiences a shift from conventional methods of
attaining power to the modern ones.

An example of a hard power (US), that has been driven to extreme measures to attain the
satisfactory level of dominance and power.

HEGEMONIAL INVASION OF IRAQ BY US:

o In 2003, the US used their military and political strength to legalize invasion of a
sovereign country, without the mandate of UN.
o US-led occupation forces committed numerous atrocities and several war crimes in Iraq.
While some cases have been brought before military hearings, the Pentagon has covered
up most of these cases and exonerated the soldiers involved.
o Later, the reasons given for the invasion proved to be false, as confessed by Tony Blair
(British prime-minister and an ally of US in the Iraq conflict)
o Iraq being faced with sanctions for many years, was exhausted both economically and
militarily, thus, stood no chance against the hegemonial invasion.
o This event of history is the perfect example of a ‘powerful’ state exercising hard power/
domineering power to gain more influence and authority.
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