4. Articulation sentence: “power gives groups involved in world politics the
ability to pursue their interests, whatever these interests are at any given
given time”
Key things to consider
◦ Power is not fixed
◦ It’s not only states that can be powerful
◦ States can cooperate with other states to become more powerful
◦ Power can be used to achieve material gains (economic and physical
resources)
6. HARD
POWER
SMART
POWER
SOFT
POWER
MILITARY FORCE
SANCTIONS
AGRESSION
REALIST PERSPECTIVE
PAYMENT
DIPLOMACY
TRADE/AID
OUTREACH
CULTURAL TIES
FRIENDSHIP?
LIBERALIST PERSPECTIVE
COERCION
STATE A WILL FORCE STATE B TO DO WHAT IT
WANTS THROUGH THREATS OR FORCE
BALANCE OF THE TWO
COMBINATION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, THE
THREAT OF POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION AND A
DIPLOMATIC PROCESS
PERSUASION/INFLUENCE
STATE A WILL PERSUADE STATE B TO DO WHT IT
WANTS, WITH OR WITHOUT STATE B BEING AWARE
THAT THIS IS WHAT IT WANTS. FOREIGN POLICY,
POLITICAL VALUES, FOREIGN POLICY ETC.
UNPOPULAR FOREIGN POLICY WILL REDUCE STATES
SOFT POWER
MILITARY ACTION TAKEN IN SYRIA AGAINST IS IN 2014
INVOLVING THE U.S. + OTHERS.
MIITARY FORCE USED AGAINST SADAM HUSSEIN IN 2003
MILITARY AIR FORCE USED BY OBAMA IN 2011
OVERTHROW OF COLONEL GADDAFI IN LIBYA
NUCLEAR DEAL SIGNED BETWEEN IRAN AND THE P5+! IN
JULY 2015. THE P5+1 USED A COMBINATION OF TACTICS:
DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND
AN UNSTATED BUT POSSIBLE THREAT OF MILITARY FORCE.
VIOLENT PROTEST GROUPS SUCH AS HEZBOLLAH NOT ONLY
USE HARD POWER, BUT ALSO BUILD AND RUN SCHOOLS,
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN HELATH CARE FACILITIES, AND
PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRATIC COALITION POLITICS IN THE
LEBANESE PARLIAMENT
USAID GIVES MOST AID TO COUNTRIES WHERE
DEVELOPMENT MATTERS FOR US SECURITY INTERESTS. IN
2015, AFG AND PAK RECEIVED HE MOST US AID
CHINA HAS PLEDGED $1.4 TRILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT IN AFRICA
SPORTING EVENTS SUCH AS THE OLYMPICS, LONDON
2012, SOCHI 2014
9. Types of power
◦ Military power – military power is used less against other states than previously in
history and is now primarily used against non-state actors or intra-state threats – e.g. us
invading iraq + afghanistan
◦ Economic power – economic power can be measured in different ways. It can be used as
a method of hard power – in the form of sanctions – and is needed if states wish to be
strong military powers - e.g. – u.s. and eu sanctions on iran and their nuclear weapons
program
◦ Social, cultural and cyber power – The relatively new social, cultural and cyber power
have varying effectiveness. Cultural power may do little for nation states, whereas cyber
power has empowered many groups, states and individuals – E.G. Wikileaks or the arab
spring
12. Articulation sentence: “A state with sovereignty has complete control
over its government and it has external sovereignty when it allows other
states to control what happens within their borders”
◦ KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER:
◦ Sovereignty is defined as a states full ability to rule itself
◦ States are sovereign when they have full control and authority over what happens within its
borders
◦ States should respect the sovereignty of other states, as well as maintain and defend their own
sovereignty
15. More things to think about
◦ Groups such as islamic state may call themselves a state – but if no other states or
international organizations recognize them, they cannot be considered a state
◦ Sovereign states should have:
A permanent population
A defined territory and borders
Effective government
The capacity and legitimacy to enter into relations with other states
16. Gaining recognized
statehood
◦ The UN is the key ruling body which agrees the legitimacy of state borders and makes rulings on
borders that are being contested. Being recognized as a full member state of the un is the ultimate
confirmation of independent statehood.
◦ Kosovo
◦ Catalunya
◦ Crimea/ukraine
◦ Israel/palestine
“It is possible to gain independent statehood, usually by holding a
referendum, and to become recognized by the un. However, there
are many contested states and borders around the world”
20. What is it?
A key feature of a globalized world in which all groups in global politics are increasingly reliant on
each other and influenced by each other
Economic
Political
Global issues
Articulation sentence: “States are becoming more interdependent – economically and politically –
due to the globalization of world issues”
21. IGOs
IGOs allow states to…
KEY IGOs
“Intergovernmental organizations provide member states with a number of benefits, such as
economic strength and more influence in global politics”
22. Why do states join IGOs?
Powerful states can join IGOs in order to force or persuade other states to adopt policies or agreements
that meet their national interests
Less powerful states can join IGOs to group together with other states because…
States use IGOs so that they can work together to resolve issues where acting alone is insufficient
States join NGOs so they are able to give every person in their country 1000 Oreos each
To increase or protect their military or economic power i.e. the Euro
Regional IGOs
26. “Groups or actions that are considered to be
acceptable, usually by conforming to agreed laws or
democratic principles”
◦All actors need legitimacy to survive. But how do
actors attain authority?
◦What makes citizens obey or feel loyal toward
their governments?
27. Sauces of legitimacy
Democracy
At a national level, democracy brings legitimacy to governments that wish to exercise control
over a particular region. Leaders are democratically elected and by popular vote and serve for
limited periods
Rule of Law
The law is always equally applied to all citizens; neither citizens nor the government are above the
law; and that every citizen has the right to a fair and legitimate trial
Legit-
imacy
28. ◦ Tradition: The government has authority because its citizens have a long tradition of giving it
authority and respect. This source mostly comes into play with governments that have been
for a long time.
◦ Habit: Most people are raised to obey the laws, and they thereby acquire the habit of obeying.
Citizens give their government legitimacy and authority because that is what they have always
◦ History: People remember great deeds and events in the country’s history, and they obey the
government out of a sense of historical pride.
◦ Religion: In some places, obedience to the government is seen as a religious obligation.
Eg. Iran is a constitutional Islamic republic. Some of its governing bodies are elected, whereas others
are put into place for religious reasons.
◦ Ethnic identity: Countries composed of exclusively one ethnic group or whose regime is strongly
connected to one ethnic group can inspire obedience through ethnic identity. Members of that
ethnic group respect the government because of its link to their ethnicity.
Eg. Saddam Hussein’s Sunni regime in Iraq once inspired a great deal of loyalty in Sunni Arabs.
◦ Results: If a government succeeds in some way—for instance, through a military victory or a
thriving economy—citizens may feel loyalty because of that success.
◦ Elections: A government that holds elections gains legitimacy because citizens believe that the
government, composed of elected officials, represents them.
◦ International recognition: A government gains legitimacy when other governments recognize it
and welcome it to the international community.
30. Legitimacy of non-state groups
NGOs
IGOs
Violent Extremist Groups
“NGOs and extremist groups often gain legitimacy through the recognition of states or IGOs,
whereas an IGO is usually legitimized by a treaty or formal international agreement”
