Power and development

• Types of state


  • Democratic
  • Semi-democratic
  • Non-democratic
  • Authoritarian
• Democratic


  • Free, regular, fair elections and governments are accountable
  • Value liberal rights and freedoms
• Semi-democratic


  • Superficial democracy as it has underlying authoritarian features
  • Government does not willingly relinquish power
• Non-democratic


  • Authoritarian and autocratic in some respects
  • Power is concentrated to one or very few people
  • Dislike dissent
• Authoritarian


  • Power concentrated to a single unelected person or party and power is often hereditary
• Does Democracy promote peace?

  • Yes: Enhances political development and empowers population
  • People are less likely to rebel
  • Complements capitalism so enhances development
  • Bring peace to the international system
• Does Democracy promote peace?


  • No: Not one size fits all – dictators can be beneficial if strong in leadership
  • Developing countries benefit from strong state control to avoid conflict
  • Democratic elections have resulted in electoral violence
  • Western liberals assume democracy is best – imperial POV
  • If implemented early, democracy can be unsustainable (requires strong economy)
• Changing of power over time

  • Colonial powers – UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium
  • Prior to WW1 there were the great powers (with significant hard powers), UK, France, Austro-Hungary
  • Inter war period – Germany, fascist italy, nazi germany
  • WW2 – victors (P5)
  • Balance tipped during the Cold War also where there were two clear superpowers US and Russia, (western capitalism vs eastern communism)
  • Emerging powers -China
• Great powers


  • State with significant military and economic power
  • Lead IGOs
  • Influential in foreign policy
• Regional power


  State that possesses characteristics of great power but can influence anywhere in the world through technology and nuclear power
• Emerging power


  • State that has started to acquire great power status yet has not met all the criteria
  • Usually a state that is growing rapidly and industrialised
• Great Powers


  • UK
  • China
  • France
• Emerging Powers


  • Brazil
  • Russia
  • India
• Polarity


  The way in which power is distributed through an international system into one of the three types: Unipolarity, Bipolarity, Multipolarity
• Unipolarity


  One hegemonic state possesses all capability and power
• Bipolarity


  Two competing poles of power that are evenly matched
• Multipolarity


  Multiple states compete with one another and wield equal influence
• The Cold War lasted from March 1947 to December 1991
• The Cold War


  • Two key powers evenly matched (USSR and USA)
  • UN became pretty redundant due to P5 veto
  • Each power had military alliances (US and NATO, USSR and Warsaw Pact)
  • 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis was the most unstable point
  • 1986 Reykjavik Summit reduced tensions
  • US sanctioned cuba leading to huge poverty
• Realist view on bipolar worlds

  • Promotes peace as two evenly matched powers ensure nobody dominates
  • Both had limits on what they could and could not achieve
  • If one could have achieved more this would risk a World War and so a bipolar system maintained a safe balance
• Liberal view on bipolar worlds

  • Dangerous because both powers were advancing their own interests and military capabilities
  • The war did not create stability and peace as there was constant suspense and antagonism
  • There was very real risk of nuclear war
• The Cold War ended in 1991 when the USSR was dissolved and 15 new states were created
• Factors contributing to the end of the Cold War

  • Economic pressure of US capitalism was harsh competition
  • When communists sought to overthrow the govt, Yeltsin lead a nationalist opposition and defeated the coup, declared russian independence and the USSR was dissolved in 1991
• Hegemony of the USA


  • YES: Latest economy in the world ($20.8 trillion)
  • USD is main currency
  • Has structural power in IGOs
  • Population of 439m in 2050
  • Lots of soft power through shows and corporate brands
  • Globalisation known as Americanisation
  • World's largest military budget ($778bn) and largest defence spender (38% of global military spending)
  • US navy is bigger than the next 13 navies combined
  • 11 aircraft carriers , UK has 2 and China has 2, Russia has 1
• Hegemony of the USA

  • NO: China to overtake US in GDP and FDI by 2030
  • US debt to china is $1tn
  • Competition with Bretton Woods institutes such as Asian Infrastructure Bank may reduce US influence
  • Bollywood competes with Hollywood
  • Cultural dominance is less than thought – MAN U and Real Madrid
  • Controversy has damaged soft power influence – Guantanamo Bay, Waterboarding, CIA rendition, Trump, climate issues, Israel
  • China and Russia are P5 too
  • BRICS provide competition
  • China and Russia provide a challenge to US military capabilities
  • China has lots of submarines and dominate the South China Sea
  • Russia has the world's most lethal Nuclear Weapon (RS-28 Sarmat) — travel 10k km
• Realist view on US unipolarity

  • Rise of US hegemony creates a new form of stability (international anarchy creates instability), so to have a clear leader to dominate creates a stable world (hegemonic stability)
  • Some realists like Kenneth Waltz argue unipolar can be unstable as it can create resentment (WW1 as a response to the German attempt to challenge hegemonic British empire)
  • Chomsky argues it leads to a lack of constraints on behaviour and may go rogue
• Liberal view on US unipolarity

  • Rise of US hegemony as the spread of western ideas like democracy
  • Liberals very much believe that there would be more stability if there was a diffusion of power (Multipolar!)
• Multipolarity


  • No one power can be a hegemony
  • Evenly distributed power through regionalism or IGOs
  • Global brands challenge US brands through free market liberalism
  • Militarily China and Russia are developing
  • Afghanistan and Iraq showed limits of US military
  • BRICS are increasingly powerful
  • Globalisation is not just American and global civil society is increasingly cosmopolitan
• Realist view on multipolarity

  • Mearsheimer argues that multipolarity demonstrates instability as power is fluid and constantly shifting and the number of evenly matched states are increasing
  • Creates fear for those involved and generates more conflict, and the possibility of increased regional conflict too
• Liberal view on multipolarity


  • Believe that multipolarity is the best option for peace and security as it can promote cooperation in multilateral systems of governance
  • Liberals also assert through globalisation the world has become more multipolar and this is the time in which we have had the most peace
• Regional bipolarity - Pakistan and India


  • Partitioned in 1947
  • Refugee crisis
  • Speak a common language and have large Hindu and Muslim populations
  • Conflict over Kashmir – regional issues
• Regional bipolarity - Iran and Saudi Arabia


  • Hold power in the Middle East and compete in a regional bipolarity
  • Never declared war on each other but fought through proxy in Iran, Syria, and Iraq
  • Iran supported Syria regime on religious grounds but Saudi supported the rebel groups
  • Large oil reserves and wealth
  • Saudi has Sunni Muslim population whereas Iran has Shia Muslim population
• BRICS


  Emerging economies of the countries created by Goldman Sachs
• BRICS


  1. Met annually since 2009

  2. Initially the grouping was controversial (no african countries originally)

  3. Believes they will be dominant economies by 2050
• BRICS


  • 25% of land
  • 40% of world population
  • GDP of 20$ trillion
  • Received FDI and have lots of debt
• South Africa


  Introduced later – biggest and most powerful state within the African Union and needed to add african countries
• MINT


  Also created by Jim O'Neill
• MINT


  • Mexico
  • Indonesia
  • Nigeria
  • Turkey
• MINT


  • Dramatic growth
• Mexico


  • Car manufacturing
  • 14th biggest labor force in the world