PRAGYA PANKAJ JAISWAL

SECTION- A

COURSE- POLITICAL SCIENCE

PRN- 19010421058

SEMESTER- IV

ACADEMIC YEAR-2020-2021
Que 1 (b):- National power, its elements and limitations.

Ans:- What is Power?

It is not easy to explain the meaning of ‘Power’, more particularly in the context of human
relations. We are encountered with many different explanations in various disciplines.

Different social scientists have explained power in different ways being some as use of force
and others being the capacity to secure the desired goals through the use of force or threat of
use of force or even by exercising influence.

1. “Power is the capacity to impose one’s will on others by reliance on effective sanctions in
case of non-compliance.” —Schwarzenberger

2. “Power is the ability to exercise such control as to make others do what they otherwise
would not do by rewarding or promising to reward them, or by depriving or threatening to
deprive them of something they value.” —Charles P. Schleicher.

Power has been the epicentre of human relations from the very beginning of humanity. Power
plays an important role in International relations and it is an essential element of politics. The
status of state in the International sphere is determined not by its civilisation or culture but by
its physical force.

In International relations power may broadly, be defined as the capacity or ability of a states
or to control their behaviour for the purpose of promoting its own dynamic interest.

Power in the formal sense, according to Hartmann means - ”the strength of capacity that
a sovereign state can use to achieve its nation as interests.”

George Schwarzenberger defined it as “the capacity to impose one’s will on others by

reliance on effective sanctions in case of none compliance” Palmer and Perkins observed
“To the totality of a states effectiveness in world politics, we apply the term power”.

Power is a phenomenon of all relationships, and political relationship is no exception to this

rule. Power has been defined by Hans Morgenthau as "Man's control over minds and
actions of other man." But, as minds cannot be seen, power can be determined by the
behaviour of individuals and states. In a very broad sense, power has been defined "as the
ability or capacity to control others and get them to do what one wants them to do and also to
see that they do not do what one does not want them to do." In international relations, power
is the ability of a state to make its will prevail and to enforce respect and command obedience
from other states. This is how Professor Mahendra Kumar has explained power of the states.
Simply speaking, power is an ability which may not be exercised. But, when exercised, this
ability enables a state to control the behaviour of other states.

Power is the most central concept of international politics. But it is not always easy to define
it. Still definitions have been given. Couloumbis and Wolfe define power as "an 1 umbrella
concept that denotes anything that establishes and maintains the control of Actor A over
Actor B." This definition widens the meaning of the concept of power.

Power has three important ingredients. They are force, influence and authority. According
to Couloumbis and Wolfe, authority means voluntary compliance by Actor B of the wishes of
Actor A, out of respect, affection, etc. Influence has been defined as use of instruments of
persuasion, short of force, by Actor A to get its wishes accepted by Actor B. Finally, force
implies coercion by Actor A of Actor B in pursuit of political objectives of Actor A. This,
power is a combination of authority (voluntary compliance), Influence (Compliance through
persuasion) and force (use of coercive methods).

As of now we have discussed meaning of power and understood it in a well manner, it

becomes quite easy to define national power.

NATIONAL POWER

“National Power is that combination of power and capability of a state which the state
uses for fulfilling its national interests and goals.” —Padelford and Lincoln

National Power has a non-stable, dynamic character and as such it has to be continuously or
at least periodically and regularly evaluated for understanding the role of the nation in
international relations. National power is always dynamic. A powerful nation can become
less powerful or more powerful in future.

Some of the most important features of national power in politics are as follows:

1. National Power is both a Means as well as an End in International Relations.

2. National Power is the Ability to Secure Goals of National Interest.

3. National Power is Dynamic and Relative in Character.

 4. No Two Nations Have Equal Power.

5. Actual Power and Potential Power.

6. National Power is the Basis as Well as a Means of Foreign Policy.

7. National Power is the Currency of International Relations.

Element of national power

Natural Resources:-

Natural and quantifiable, and stable elements of power are natural resources that include raw
materials, agricultural products like food and fiber, forests, minerals, waterfall, soil fertility,
etc. It is evident that the possession of resources such as coal, iron, uranium, oil, rubber,
bauxite, manganese, other ferrous and non-ferrous metals, non-metallic minerals, and natural
gas is essential to industrial and defence production in nation-states. More recently, it has
been proved that the availability of petroleum at reasonable prices is important to industrial
nations’ good economic health. The contemporary prosperity of many Arab countries is due
to the availability of plenty of oil there.

Geography:-

Amongst the elements of National Power, geography is the most stable, tangible, permanent
and natural element. Its importance as a factor of national power can be judged from the fact
that Geo-political scientists, like Moodie, Spykman, Haushofer, Mackinder and others, regard
Geography as the determinant of international politics.

While describing -the importance of geography in international relations Napoleon, observed.

“The foreign policy of a country is determined by its geography.” A large territory, if
hospitable and fertile, can accommodate more people and give more natural resources. In the
past, the vast size of a state’s territory was of great help to its security. It was difficult for the
enemy to win and occupy a large territory. But size matters very little nowadays.

For example Japan, for instance, even though comparatively small, defeated China and
Russia. Moreover, larger territories’ utility has also diminished due to the technological
revolution and the invention of Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles.
 Population:-

It seems a large population is an asset to the state. But it is not really so. For example, with
the largest population globally, China is not as powerful as the United States and the Soviet
Union are. On the other hand, Israel, Japan, and Germany are powerful despite their small
population.That is why the quality of the population is as important as its quantity. From a
quantity three points of view, it is a tangible element whereas it is intangible qualitatively.
Thus population can serve both as an asset and as a liability. If people are well-fed, educated,
and properly trained, they are a great source of power.

But if they are ignorant, poor, and illiterate, they are a big burden on the state. Many qualities
of population, such as unity, literacy, loyalty, character, and spirit of love, sacrifice, and duty,
are crucial for making a country powerful, but they are difficult to measure. A good
population serves as good military personnel, civilians, workers, producers, and consumers.

Military:-

This relates to the conventional notion that power is backed by military force. The military
strength of a given nation-state can be measured in terms of funds expended for defence and
security purposes. A related factor is location outside its territory. Such military mobility
hinges on the nation-state's ability to sustain military operations on land, sea and air. The
ultimate success of the nation-states, however, would depend on intangible factors such as
preparedness, training, leadership, morale, etc. which affect the performance of armed forces
in a given situation. The discussion of tangible elements of power brings out clearly that such
elements are necessary to generate capability of the nation-states in a sovereign state-system.

Industrial Capacity:-

The economic factor is intimately linked up with industrial capacity of a nation. In this age of
science, industrialisation and technology developed industrial capacity alone can be a source
of enduring and effective economic development. Only industrially advanced nations can
become great powers. For example-Today, the United States, the United Kingdom, France,
Japan and Germany are powerful nations because of their huge industrial capacities. They
have the ability to process raw materials, and thereby are in a position to control international
economy. India is now emerging as an industrial power.

National Morale:-
Along with national character, national morale is also an element of national power. National
morale, in the context of national power, refers to ‘the degree of determination with which a
nation supports the foreign policy of its government in peace and war, it permeates all
activities of a nation, its agriculture and industrial productions as well as its military
establishments and diplomatic service.” (Morgenthau).

High morale means a healthy frame of mind characterised by fidelity to cause and it depends
upon a combination of circumstances and the quality of leadership, and can be subject to
frequent and sometimes sudden fluctuations. For example -Indian morale became quite low
after severe reverses in Sino- Indian War of 1962.The success in 1965 and 1971 wars, the
successful green revolution and the entry into nuclear club through a peaceful nuclear
explosion in May 1974, followed by 1998 nuclear explosions gave vital strength and
reinvigorated Indian national morale Development of IT sector and steady economic
development have how increased the morale of the people of India as well as India’s
credibility in the world.

Diplomacy:-

Diplomacy is another important element of national power. Hans J. Morgenthau regards it as

the most important, though unstable element of national power. Diplomacy is the means of
foreign policy and as such helps it to achieve better results through judicious hard work and
persuasion in international relations. Success of foreign policy of a nation largely depends
upon the quality of Diplomacy that takes it to foreign capitals.

Diplomacy of high quality can bring the ends and means of foreign policy into harmony with
the available resources of national power. It can trap the hidden sources of national strength
and transform these fully and squarely into political realities. For example- During the inter-
war period, the USA was politically and militarily very strong but it played a minor role in
world politics because of its weak diplomacy. At times, weak diplomacy has acted as a
source of weakness for India.

National Character:-

An important but intangible element of national power is national character. National

character is a collective name for referring to the traits of the people, their attitude and
aptitude towards work and national needs. National character undoubtedly influences national
power as it manifests qualitative make up of the people in their actual behaviour.1

Scholars tell us that Russians are known for their sturdiness, elementary force and
persistence. Americans for their inventiveness, initiative and spirit of adventure. Britishers for
their un-dogmatic common sense, and Germans for discipline and industriousness, Japanese
for their nationalism, Indians for their tolerance, idealism and faith in rich cultural traditions
and Chinese for their cosmic un-changeability. Traits of national character definitely
influence the national power of a nation.

LIMITATION ON NATIONAL POWER

 INTERNATIONAL LAW AND TREATIES: International Law is the body of rules

that the nation-states accept as binding upon them, and which regulates their
behaviour in international relations.

It is an important limitation on the power of a nation. It directs and controls the

behaviour of the nations engaged in international relations. International law
constitutes a legal framework for the orderly conduct of international relations both in
times of peace and war. Backed by common consent, natural law, international
morality, world public opinion and its utility, International law acts as a major
limitation on the misuse of power by the states. It enunciates the do‟s and don‟ts for
the states.

It declares war as an illegal means for the promotion of interests. It lays down rules
for the establishment and conduct of diplomatic relations. Violations of International
Law can invoke sanctions against the violating states.

However, International Law is a weak law. It is not backed by force. It is also subject
to different interpretations. It often fails to meet the pressure exerted by a powerful
nation pursuing aggressive nationalism. Its objective is to secure international peace,
security and development, by securing orderly international relations through the
prevention of use of force, war and violence. However, its weakness as a law, rather
half- law, and half-morality, tends to limit its role as a limiting factor of national
power.

1
Dahl, Robert, “The Concept of Power,” Behavioral Science, Vol. 2, July 1957.
  INTERNATIONAL MORALITY: Men profess to follow certain moral rules
whether they act as individuals or as statesmen and seldom make any distinction, at
least in principle, about the nature of these binding rules. But in reality, they do draw
such distinction.

For example, when they Work as statesmen, they claim an exemption for certain acts
on the ground of necessity, which they would never justify in their private capacity.
Therefore, in fact, there exists a contradiction between moral command and the
requirement of successful action.

 MEANING: International morality or ethics is the combination of the standards,

norms, and values that nation-states and international organizations think they should
observe in their relations.
These norms or values may originate from desires and attitudes, from social customs
and traditions the developments regularly influence them in the sphere of science and
technology.
One of the most crucial and clearly understood items in this code is the obligation not
to harm others or delict unnecessary suffering on other human beings except for some
higher objective held, rightly or wrongly, to justify a derogation from this general
obligation.

 OPERATION OF INTERNATIONAL MORALITY: To preserve society, in the

words of Morgenthau, certain moral precepts have been put forward which the
statesmen and diplomats ought to take to heart to make relations between nations
more peaceful and less anarchic, such as the keeping of promises, trust, in other
words, fair dealing, respect for international law, protection of minorities, repudiation
of war as an instrument of national policy.2

Morality prohibits that those who were no longer engaged in actual warfare because
of sickness, wounds, disability, or because they have become prisoners of war should
not be harmed. Such a humanitarian approach towards the prisoners of war and
disabled soldiers was developed during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in
Europe. It culminated in adopting certain treaties in this respect by many states in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

2
War and Change in World Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
 The Geneva Convention of 1864, 1906, 1929, and 1949 and the Hague Conventions
of 1899 and 1907 laid down certain specific conditions regarding treating the sick and
wounded soldiers by the other side. Third and final, there is a moral condemnation of
war in the present century.

“Thus, while the moral limitations upon killing in times of peace remain intact, the
moral limitations upon killing in war have proved to be largely ineffective.”

 WORLD PUBLIC OPINION: The democratization of foreign policy and the

coming of communications and IT revolutions have together made possible the rise of
organised and strong World Public Opinion in contemporary international relations.

It has emerged as an important factor of international relations. The presence of strong

global peace movements, strong movements in favour of Nuclear Arms Control and
Disarmament, a very strong and healthy global movement for the preservation of
Earth’s ecological balance, the environment protection movements, Human Rights
protection movements and several other such movements clearly show the presence of
a strong World Public Opinion.

It is now fast emerging as a big limitation on national power. Fear of adverse world
public opinion often forces a nation either not to follow a particular policy or to take a
decision or even to pursue a particular goal or decision. Strong world public opinion
in favour of Arms Control and Disarmament has been a factor behind the INF Treaty,
the START-I, START-II, the Chemical Weapons Elimination Treaty and the
continued talks on the issue of disarmament, nuclear disarmament and arms control in
international relations. 3

Moreover, in contemporary times, the widespread support of World Public Opinion

for the protection of Human Rights and Freedoms of all by all the countries has been a
source or big influence on the role of national power in international relations.
However, World Public Opinion is a limiting factor in itself. It often fails to neutralize
or forcefully control strong and aggressive nationalism. It has failed to prevent the US
war against Iraq.

3
Davis, Kingley, “The Demographic Foundations of National Power,” in Morrow Berger et al. (eds.), Freedom
and Control in Modern Society, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1954. 
  INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: Since 1919, the world has been living
with a world organisation , except for the years of the Second World War. Since 1945,
the United Nations has been functioning as a global organisation of all the members
of the international community. Its Charter specifies certain aims and objectives
which its members are committed to follow.

It specifies certain means for pacific settlement of disputes among the member states.
It provides for collective security of peace in times of war and aggression .The United
Nations constitutes a global platform for the conduct of international relations in a
peaceful and orderly manner. Nations are bound by the UN Charter and they are
expected to use their powers only in accordance with the dictates of the UN Charter.4

Along with the multipurpose United Nations, there have emerged several well
organised international and regional organisations like UNESCO, who, ilo, unicef,
which guide, direct and control the actions of their member states in various spheres
of activity. Some Regional Organisations also act as a source of limitation on the
national power of each member state.

Living in this age of international interdependence which is characterised by the

existence of several powerful non-state actors, the modern nation-state very often
finds its power limited. This fact has also been a source a big limitation, or check
against the misuse of power by the states. However, the continued love and respect for
sovereignty and nationalism continues to keep the role of international organisation
and non- state actors limited.

 BALANCE OF POWER: Balance of Power is a device of both power management

and limitation of power. Its underlying principle is that the power of several equally
powerful actors can be a source of limitation on their powers. The major actors should
maintain a sort of balance in their power positions.

No state should try to become unduly powerful as can endanger the balance. If a state
becomes or tries to become unduly powerful, another state or states should
collectively pool their powers and create a preponderance of power against the

4
Davis, Kingley, “The Demographic Foundations of National Power,” in Morrow Berger et al. (eds.), Freedom
and Control in Modern Society, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1954.  
 offending state. Through use of force or coercion or other devices, these states should
act to reduce the power of the threatening state and restore the balance.

No state should be eliminated completely but the power of the state should be kept
under control in the name of „balance‟. Balance of power places restraints upon the
states by preventing all attempts at an unjustified increase of power on the part of any
member of the balance of power system.

This concept was used in the 19th century by the major European states for adjusting
their relations. This system was successful in preventing the outbreak of any major
war during 1815- 1914 period. Currently the device of Balance of Power is used only
at the regional or subregional level. At the global level it has lost much of its
relevance and applicability.

 COLLECTIVE SECURITY: It is a device of power-management which also acts as

a limitation on national power. The system of Collective Security is based on the
principle that international peace and security is the common objective to be secured
by all the states through collective action against any violation by any state or states.
It is a device of power management and its purpose is to maintain international peace
and security by the collective efforts of all the states. 5

As such, the power of a state which violates or seeks to violate the freedom,
sovereignty or territorial integrity of any other state is limited by the fear that any
aggression or any such act committed by it will be met by the collective power of all
other states. In this way collective security is considered to be a deterrent against war
and aggression i.e. against the misuse of power by any state.

 DISARMAMENT AND ARM’S CONTROL: Since military power is a formidable

dimension of national power and armaments form a formidable part of military
power, Arms Control and Disarmament are regarded as devices of limiting the
national power. Arms Control refers to the control over and limitation or reduction or
control of the arms race, particularly the nuclear arms race, through internationally
agreed decisions, policies and plans. Disarmament refers to the liquidation, gradually
or in one stroke, of the huge stockpiles of arms and ammunition which the nation-
states have come to possess till today.

5
Hans J. Morgenthau - Politics among nations_ the struggle for power and peace 
 Both Arms Control and Disarmament are based on the belief that by eliminating or
reducing the possession and production of weapons, the military power of a nation i.e.
the national power of the state can be limited. Any success towards Arms Control and
Disarmament can be a source of limitation upon the national power of the states. The
decision to adopt arms control and limited disarmament due to internal economic
necessities has decidedly limited the role of power in contemporary international
relations.

All these factors act as limitations on National Power. Several scholars, however,
advocate that an effective and powerful limitation on the National Power can be the
creation of a permanently organised world powers—a world government or a world
state.

Well so long this does not happen; the devices discussed above can be used for
keeping the national power under check as well as for keeping contained the struggle
for power among nations. At least these can help the humankind to keep on avoiding a
Third World War as well as to keep on working for ensuring some order in
international relations.

According to me, a nation is dependent upon several factors which together gives
strength to make their national power. Overall reading the material I can say that
Economic Development and Industrial Capacity, Technology and Military
Preparedness can be proclaimed as very important elements of National Power.

All Elements of National Power are Important: These are the major elements of
National Power. Besides these, Wolfe and Couloumbis refer to several other elements
like:

(i) Reputation, i.e. reputation for action in response to challenges,

(ii) Foreign Support and links, i.e. nature of alliances, treaties, agreements that a nation has
with other nations, and

(iii) Accidents in the form of sudden natural calamity or calamities can be a source of
weakness whereas a sudden accidental discovery of vital raw materials like oil in the off
shore basin can be a source of strength.
We have to take into account all these tangible and intangible elements for evaluating the
national power of a nation. However, it must be remembered that these factors do not
individually and automatically determine the national power of a nation. Only when material
factors are combined with right type of human factors that these become factors of national
powers.

Moreover their relative importance and role keeps on changing from time to time. Hence
these have to be systematically and continuously evaluated. Moreover their interdependence
has also to be always kept in view. In this age of knowledge power and highly increased
importance of economic relations, human power and ability, along with economic growth rate
and potential have come to be major elements of National Power. It has been because of this
change that India is now being perceived as an emerging super power in the world.