Classification of States

Great Power
 it has the political, economic, and military strength to exert influence on a global scale.
 States that fits in the category : China and India
o They are described as emerging powers.
o Both are large and populous states with fast-growing economies.
 To evaluate great power status is to look to those states that have been recognized as
significant players on the world stage by their status as permanent members of the UN
Security Council.
 Group of Eight (G8) : Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US, Canada and Russia
o The G8 emerged in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and in response to the economic
recession and changes in the world economic system that followed on its heels. Its
main focus is the functioning of the global economy. The histories of these two bodies
provide a partial explanation for their membership.
Middle Power
 States that can wield a measure of influence, albeit not through the projection of military
might.
 Middle powers are usually affluent states that employ their resources to foster peace and to
lessen global economic inequality.
 Countries that employed this labels: Canada, Norway, Netherlands and Sweden.
o The leaders of these states have at times characterized their countries as “like minded”
and have acted as norm entrepreneurs in the international environment.
 Norm entrepreneurs advocate for the adoption of certain international standards
and work diplomatically to persuade the representatives of other states to also
adopt these norms.
o The countries listed here have played such a role in the area of international
development cooperation. The decision makers of these countries advocated not only
for more aid for development for especially the poorest countries, but also for
sustainable development.
Regional Power
 Defined as a state that has the resources to exert influence in its own region of the world.
 Countries named in this category : Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran , Nigeria, South Africa, and
Turkey
o Other states either are, or have the capacity to be, regional power brokers. Whether or
not states do in fact play such a role often depends on whether its leaders decide to
position their state in such a way.
Small States
 Those that have a rather limited capacity to exert influence on other states.
 The leaders of small states have a smaller range of instruments they can effectively employ in
their relations with other states.
  The decision makers of small states can be quite adept at working through international
organizations such as the UN or regional organizations like the European Union (EU) to exert
influence beyond their own, independent capacity.

Ultimately, size and power are about the degree to which states are constrained in the range of
foreign policy options available to their decision makers. Very few states have the capabilities to
project power across the globe. Only a small number can exert influence over other states within
their own region of the world. Most states lack the political, economic, and military strength to
project power or exert influence over other states. The foreign policies of such states are
circumscribed by the limitations imposed not only by their size but also by their geographic location
and the structure of their relations with otherstates. That brings us to the subject of
interdependence.