The access and use of power in the international system are particularly characterized by higher technological prowess seen in the systematic collection, articulation, application and adaptation of knowledge, techniques, methods and processes. Technology is intricately associated with capacity and competencies for power and its distribution among state and non-state actors in the international system. This paper discusses the role of technology in the distribution of power among actors in the international system as it treads on the systemic approach threshold. The convergence of two mainstream theories of neorealist institutionalism and neoliberalist constructivism provides a theoretical frame with the proposition that technology tends to enable and equalize all actors at all levels in the distribution of power in the international system. The paper concludes that technology is an enabler as well as an equalizer for power within and among all players or actors according to their individual or group abilities to exercise the process to their advantage.

1. TECHNOLOGY AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF
POWER IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
BY
TANKO AHMED fwc
Senior Fellow (Security & Strategic Studies)
National Institute (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos, Nigeria
Tel: +2348037031744 – Email: ta_mamuda@yahoo.com

2. Abstract
 The access and use of power in the international system are
particularly characterized by higher technological prowess
seen in the systematic collection, articulation, application and
adaptation of knowledge, techniques, methods and
processes.
 Technology is intricately associated with capacity and
competencies for power and its distribution among state and
non-state actors in the international system.
 This paper discusses the role of technology in the distribution
of power among actors in the international system as it treads
on the systemic approach threshold.
 The convergence of two mainstream theories of neorealist
institutionalism and neoliberalist constructivism provides a
theoretical frame with the proposition that technology tends
to enable and equalize all actors at all levels in the distribution
of power in the international system.

3. INTRODUCTION

4. Background
• Power is the ability, capacity or strength to do,
accomplish, control or influence something in the
context of human relations for intended effect or
gain https://www.merriam-webster.com.
• National power involves the capacity or ability of one
nation or group of nations to control or influence the
behaviour of others on the basis of determined ends
set by the powerful (Organski, 1958).
• Technology is intricately associated with acquisition
of power and its distribution at all levels of human
activities, including nations and non-state actors in
the international system.

5. Technology in Human Affairs
• The contemporary features of power and its
relationship in the international system were
transformed from the ordering principles shifting
society away from anarchy to hierarchy; to collective
identity, hegemony, interactive capacity, economic
transaction to distribution of capabilities across
board (Herrera, 2006).
• Technology has therefore permeated human affairs
by artifacts, technical systems and infrastructures,
making it hard to imagine any international or global
issue that does not have technological or scientific
aspects (Mayer et al. 2014).

6. Technology Narratives
• The capacity or ability of any nation (s) or actors
to set and acquire the means to influence others
includes the use force or threat of the use of
force, including the deployment of associated
elements for or against others.
• In this process, all actors or participants are only
able to influence and control the behaviour of
others in the international system, supported by
technological prowess.
• The roles played by scientific practices and
technological systems in the international system
bear two opposing narratives of ‘tale of hope’
and ‘tale of pessimism’.

7. Systemic Nature of Relationship
• These narratives convey the optimist idea that
advances in technology and science tend to make
society better; and the assumption that new
technologies and scientific advances come with
potentially negative or even disastrous
consequences respectively.
• The relationship between power and technology
therefore takes a systemic nature when applied
to its working in the international system
requiring systemic approach and analysis.

8. Theorem
• The need for systemic analysis primarily
addresses the process of change in the
international political system in order to explain
international outcomes.
• This paper treads on the systemic change
approach based on the parallel theories of
neorealist institutionalism and neoliberalist
constructivism.
• While the neorealist institutionalism projects a
social theory of international politics, its parallel
neoliberalist constructivism rolls out a liberal
theory of international politics.

9. Major Proponents
• Kenneth Waltz (1979), a neorealist proponent,
explains ‘system’ as composed of units and
their interactions which forms the structure of
the system;
• John Ruggie (1983) a neoliberalist proponent
situates that the end of the cold war and the
ongoing processes of globalization have
increased the importance of systemic change.

10. A Proposition
• The congruence of the two seemingly opposing
approaches therefore agree to blend in systemic
change approach as seen in the post-cold war
features and trends of power distribution in the
international system.
• For example, the persistence of American hegemony
and the continued rise of powerful non-state actors
like multinationals and terror groups with
entrenchment of technology as driver of power base.
• This paper proposes that technology distributes
power to all actors at all levels in the international
system.

11. Problem Statement
• The attributes of power and influence within and
among nations of the world tend evolves through
the struggle for dominance and securing of
individual or group interests.
• The capacity or ability of any nation or group of
nations to set and acquire the means to influence
others includes the use force or threat of the use
of force over other nations.
• In this process, a nation or actor is only able to
influence and control the behaviour of other
nations in the international system when
supported by embedded power backed by
technological prowess.

12. Points of Inquiry
• What is the relationship between technology
and power?
• Which functions power plays among actors in
the international system?
• How is power distributed and all actors within
the international system?
• What is the role of technology in power
distribution in the international system?

13. CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK

14. Technology
• Technology is the art, science and skills of craft or
cunning of the hand or the anthology of techniques,
skills, methods and processes used in the production
of goods and services http://www.dictionary.com/ .
• It involves the creation and deployment of technical
means and methods of interrelation with life, living,
society and the environment through
industrialization, including research and
development of ideas, artifacts and systems of
relationships (Liddell & Scott, 1980).
• Technology tends to aggregates the ways and means
in which groups of individuals and/or nations provide
themselves with the material and methods of
national power and civilization trends within the
international system.

15. Power
• Power refers to the ability to accomplish or
influence something in the context of human
relations for intended effect or gain
https://www.merriam-webster.com.
• Organski (1958) assembles the meanings of
power to include the control over the minds and
actions of others; the capacity to impose will on
others by relying of effective sanctions for
compliance; or the ability to exercise control over
others.

16. National Power
• National power is the capacity or ability of a nation
with the use of which it can get its will obeyed by
other nation involving the capacity to use force or
threat of the use of force over other nations
(Schleicher, 1963; Kumar, 1967).
• The use of National Power bestows the ability for a
nation to control the behaviour of other nations in
accordance with its will
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com .
• National Power is a key component of International
Politics in which is struggle for power among Nations
with each nation seeking to secure its desired goals
and objectives of National interests (Kumar, 1967;
Morgenthau, 1978).

17. Non-State Actors
• Non-state actors are non-sovereign agents or entities
like multinationals, non-governmental organizations,
ideological movements, super national agencies,
trade unions, and others.
• These units also exist, participate and regenerate
within and across states’ influence and control as
much as they have access to technology.
• For example, super-national and multinational
entities like the European Union and the Shell-BP are
known to have enormous influence on the internal
affairs of weaker countries.

18. International System
• International system refers to a concept and
field of analysis including discourse on
behaviour of nations as they associate or
influences each other.
• In a pioneer work in systemic approach,
Kaplan (1957) describes international system
and its subsystems and assigned values for
rules, transformation, classification,
capabilities and information variables.

19. Description of International System
Bull and Watson (1984) describe international system
as the international society of nations and define it as:
"… a group of states (or, more generally, a group
of independent political communities) which not
merely form a system, in the sense that the
behaviour of each is a necessary factor in the
calculations of the others, but also have
established by dialogue and consent common
rules and institutions for the conduct of their
relations, and recognize their common interest in
maintaining these arrangements." (p. 1-9)

20. Theoretical Blend and Application
• The realists characterize the international system
as anarchic without any central authority with
three main features of multipolar, bipolar,
unipolar or hegemonial groupings as power
relationship formats (Goldstein & Pevehouse,
2010; Mingst & Arreguin, 2010).
• The liberals however view international system
not as a structure but as a process likened to
highly competitive international society of
nations each guided its own national interest and
capacity (Mingst & Arreguin, 2010).

21. TECHNOLOGY AND POWER

22. Impact of Technology on Society
• Breakthroughs in production, transport,
communication, logistics and management were
made possible by development in technology.
• The effects or impact of technology serves in building
power base for those societies, nations, culture,
civilizations, and actors able to acquire prowess in
the process.
• These power bases or platforms in turn create and
support the basis for expansion for both the state
and non-state actors in spread or distribution of
power and influence in the international system.

23. Technology and Power Relationship
• Centres of power and their affiliates in the
international system are particularly
characterized by higher technological prowess as
basis of advanced development.
• Technology is intricately associated with
acquisition of national power and its distribution
among nations in the international system based
on categorization of the strong and the weak.
• It has permeated human affairs by artifacts,
technical systems and infrastructures, making it
hard to imagine any international or global issue
that does not have technological or scientific
aspects (Mayer et al. 2014).

24. Capacity and Influence
• The capacity or ability of any nation or group
of nations to set and acquire the means to
influence others is greatly determined by
national power deployment and application
over other nations.
• In this process, a nation is only able to
influence and control the behaviour of other
nations in the international system when
supported by an embedded power backed by
technological prowess.

25. Technology as Enabler and Equalizer
• Technology evolves in vertical and horizontal as basis for
internal advancement of national power within States as well
as means of external influence as nations relate with each
other in the international system.
• Bryen (2015) explains the scope of technology and national
power relationship and describes the former as driver of the
latter. In both domestic and foreign ventures, technology is a
process of building and sustaining the national power base of
nations as they interact with one another.
• Technology is an enabler an equalizer for national power
within and without the abilities of nations to exercise the
process to their advantage.

26. POWER EQUATION IN THE
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

27. Power as Tool and Platform
• Power is a tool as well as a platform with which
nations engage one another in bilateral or
multilateral as individual or group units in the
internal system.
• Its attributes are seen in the systematic
collection, articulation, application and
adaptation of knowledge, techniques, methods
and processes in production, communication,
transport and management of human ventures
leading to development, growth, progress and
advancement.

28. Power in the International System
• According to Morgenthau (1978) the absence of world
sovereign power or overly powerful centralized
international machinery making authoritative
allocation of values among the nations, and because of
the sovereign status of each nation-state, the securing
of national interest by each state is always done by the
use of its national power.
• It is profoundly influenced by technology in recent
years in the course of international relations,
particularly in the projection of industrial,
communication and military capability (Farooq, 2016).
• Power in international system revolves around not only
the confines of super powers but also the accessibility
and measured capacities of other lesser players like
smaller states and non-state actors.

29. POWER DISTRIBUTION IN THE
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

30. Actor Status in International System
• Nation-states are no more the only actors in
the international system, thanks to the
enabling and equalizing environment created
and sustained by technology.
• The statuses of other actors like the multi- and
supra- nationals, NGOs, transitional and social
Medias, and even individuals also benefit from
technological empowerment (Hervas, 2016).

31. International Power Shuffle
According to Naim (2014):
“Power, we know, is shifting: From West to East
and North to South, from presidential palaces to
public squares, from once formidable corporate
behemoths to nimble startups and, slowly but
surely, from men to women. But power is not
merely dispersing; it is also decaying. Those in
power today are more constrained in what they
can do with it and more at risk of losing it than
ever before” (p. 1).

32. Power Among International Actors
• The continuous process of power shift amongst
actors at all levels has changed the status of both
state and non-state actors in the international
arena with significant reduction in the traditional
status of nation-state and remarkable increase in
those of non-state actors.
• This change in status is directly associated with
rapid technological advancement and ease of
accessibility for all actors.

33. Distributive Platforms of Power
• As technology expands horizontally in spread
it also advances vertically in faster,
voluminous, smarter, accessible, and more
affordable platforms upsetting the equation of
State monopoly (Naim, 2014).
• Technology has not only empowered all actors
but also established its distributive platforms
in the international system.

34. CONCLUSION

35. Summary
• The paper provides the background and narratives
on technology as intricately associated with building
capacity and competencies for power and its
distribution among state and non-state actors in the
international system.
• It projects a theoretical blend around the congruence
of two mainstream theories of neo-realist
institutionalism and neo-liberalist constructivism
with the proposition that technology tends to enable
and equalize all actors at all levels in the distribution
of power in the international system.

36. Conclusion
• The paper therefore establishes the relationship
between power and technology as systemic in nature
when applied to its working in the international
system; and that nations or actors are only able to
deploy power when supported by technological
prowess.
• It concludes that technology is an enabler as well as
an equalizer for power within and among all players
or actors according to their individual or group
abilities to exercise the process to their advantage.
• In this way technology has not only empowered all
actors at all levels but also established its own
distributive platforms in the international system.

37. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

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