POWER AND INTERNATIONAL

POLITICS
INTRODUCTION:
• The relation between the state and power is very close
• Politics is nothing other than the pursuit and exercise of
power and political relations are mainly power relations.
• Study of international relations reveals that power has been
the most crucial means for achieving national interests .
• Every nation wants to attain, maintain and utilize power.
• The position of a nation in the committee of nations is
determined not by its civilization or culture or literary
contribution but by its power.
• Every state possesses power through in different amount
and kind
Power, Force, Influence and Authority :
• These are related terms and often use interchangeably and
loosely.
• The master of statecraft in ancient India- Kautilya wrote
about power in the fourth century B.C.as the “possession of
strength “derived from three elements :knowledge, military
and valor.
• In the words of Hans.J.Morgenthau “ power as relationship
between two political actors in which actor A has the ability
to control the mind and actions of actor B.
• Influence means to change the behavior of others through
their consent by persuasion rather than through the
exercise of coercion.
Kinds of Power :
• Physical Power
• Psychological Power
• Economic Power
1. Physical Power
• Military strength of a state is known as
physical powert.USA is a top ranking power
owing to her military mighty.
• As a result of the rapid technological
development, the physical power of the state
is divided among its different wings such as
the armed force, the air force, the navy and of
late, the nuclear force with its missiles.
2. Psychological Power :
• It is a power over public opinion. This power is identical
with that of propaganda.
• It is an Endeavour to regulate thoughts and actions of
others through propaganda.
• This power is used very tactfully. In India, the Republic Day
Parade of the local made tanks and weapons meant to
impress upon the other nations its growing military power.
• Psychological power is usually employed to weaken the
opponent countries by spreading disloyalty among their
people and instigating them against their governments.
3. Economic Power :
• Economic power is the ability to control the behavior
of other nations by having greater control over
economic goods and services.
• A highly industrialized and economically sound
country can influence the behavior of the needy
nations by giving them economic aid and rewards and
offering them capital and technical assistance.
• The US multinational companies control the
economies of the Latin American countries and nearly
two-thirds of their foreign trade is with United States.
Methods of Exercising Power :
‘How can a nation ‘A' influence nation ‘B’?
• How can it exercise power?
• There are four methods
1.Persuasion
2.Rewards
3.Punishment
4.Force
1. Persuasion :
• It is most common and widely used way of exercising
power.
• In this method what Nation' A’ does is to influence
Nation ‘B’ by of arguments or superior logic or to
redefine the whole situation so that Nation ‘B’
changes its mind about what it ought to do.
• Most of the delegates of international organizations
employ this method and persuade each other.
• Small nations largely rely on this less expensive
method because they lack power and means to
coerce.
 Working of persuasion in international relations
• Development of credibility – to use ethos (ethical appeal); pathos
(emotional appeal) and logos (logical appeal), by individual nations. For
instance India has historical record of non-aggression and mutual
co-existence.
• India accepted U.N. tribunal award in favor of Bangladesh on
India-Bangladesh dispute on moral ground. On the other hand China
rejected the International Court of Justice ruling on South China Sea.
• Steps like this have increased persuasive power to India at international
fora. Due to this India is actively involved in Afghan peace process among
others.
• Grouping of like-minded nations – to develop a bargaining power and to
express a collective morality. For instance formation of Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) in the then bi-polar world.
• International institutions and treaties – act as strong persuasive
tool to bring consensus among nations. Recent consensus on
climate change and nations self-declaration on reduction in
carbon emission comes from persuasion by U.N and climate
change treaties.
• Leadership – by individual nations. For instance Germany has
taken lead in accommodating migrants by skilling them and
making them productive. Cuba, a small nation, has shown
extraordinary leadership in providing medical support all over the
world, especially in epidemic situation.
• Coercive persuasion – is adopted by stronger nations against
weaker ones with the support of other nations. For instance
sanctions against Iran, against its nuclear program, by the U.S.
However, persuasion seems to have failed in many instances in International relations
• Cases of alleged atrocities against minorities in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan etc
continues.
• Persuasion and talks have failed stop terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
• Despite huge efforts by India, western nations are not willing to adopt
“Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism”, which treats all form of
terrorism equally.
• Consensus on nuclear non-proliferation cannot be reached due to self-interest of
nations taking precedence over regional peace and stability.
• Persuasion has also failed to stop U.S and other countries from pulling out of Paris
agreement.
• Conclusion
• Persuasion will work in an ecosystem where international ethics prevails. National
interest must not be seen bereft of global interest. International relations must be
guided by mutual trust and respect. The vision in International relations should be
that of “Vasudev Kutumbakam” (whole world is one family). Then persuasion can
become effective tool of international governance.
2. Rewards :
• Nation ‘A’ can regulate Nation ‘B’ for doing what Nation ‘A’ wants
by offering its various rewards.
• Rewards for compliance may include psychological manipulation,
material support, economic aid, military assistance and political
support.
• ‘A’ diplomat may alter his stand to win the appreciation of his
fellow diplomats from other nations.
• The rewards can be material in the shape of territory, military aid,
weapons, troops and training facilities.
• The rewards may be economic in the form of aid, loans, grants,
capital supply, technical assistance etc.
• Political rewards consist of support for another nation’s viewpoint
in international conferences and forums.
3. Punishment :
• Rewards and punishments have close relationship.
• The most effective punishment is to withhold reward.
• Punishment may also include hostile activities like
unfriendly propaganda, diplomatic opposition and aid
to the enemy state concerned.
• The most effective punishment is rarely happened
because the very threat of it succeeds in preventing
the action which the punisher disapproves.
4. Force :
• Punishment is usually threatened as a
preventive measure when it is actually carried
out, it becomes the use of force.
• The most extreme form of the use of force is
war.
• Force is always used as the last resort when
the other three methods prove futile.
Dimensions of Power :
1. Domain of Power :
• Domain can be divided into internal and
external domain.
• In the context of international relations only
external domain is relevant. It means the
ability of nation-states to exercise their power
outside their territorial limits.
• Ex.. NATO, ANZUS, CENTO, SEATO etc.
2. Range of Power :
• Range has also internal and external components.
• Within its territory a state may control its people
by tyrannical measures.
• In the external range, colonialism, and
neo-colonialism could be regarded as the external
analogue of tyranny.
• A mutually beneficial alliance or an equitable
structure for economic cooperation among
nation-states is more akin to a just national
power.
3. Scope of Power:
• The scope of power, in the words of Deutsch, is “ the
set or collection of all the particular kinds of classes of
behavior, relations and affairs, that are effectively
subjected to governmental power”.
• This ‘set of collection’, embraces all the types of
activities a government seeks to control, domestic as
well as foreign.
• Technological revolution has substantially increased
the internal and external scope of power.
• A powerful state can now exercise power over the
other states without firing a single shot.
Role and Use of Power :
1. National Interest :
• Defense of its territory is the main purpose of any
modern state.
• National security is the vital national interest as well as
major determinant of foreign policy of every nation.
• Every nation has a department or ministry in charge of
the defense of the country.
• This shows how all states feel that military or physical
power must be possessed in the interest of national
security.
2. Preserving Status Quo :
• The policy of status quo aims at preserving the distribution of
power prevalent at any time in history.
• The moment in history taken as a reference for pursuing the
status quo policy is often, the termination of war.
• Nations following the policy of status quo utilize power to
preserve the new shift in the balance of power.
3. Changing Status Quo :
• Nations also use power to change status quo in their favor or
pursue a policy of imperialism.
• The most important type of imperialism is military imperialism.
• Today, it is replaced by other forms of imperial policy, such as
economic and cultural imperialism.
3. Use in Diplomacy :
• Diplomats of powerful country act more confidently in
their diplomatic activities than diplomats of the less
powerful states.
• The Chinese leader Mao Tsetung once wrote :
“Political Power grows out of the barrel of a gun “.
• If a country is powerful its diplomats can effectively
employ the means of persuasion and reward and their
threat of punishment and use of force will carry more
weight during diplomatic negotiation.
4. Enhancing Prestige :
• Power is used by various states to enhance their prestige
demonstration of power. For this reason nations
occasionally display power and strength before the other
nations of the world in various ways.
• Military demonstrations on such occasion as the
Independence Day or Republic Day, where orgnitaries and
diplomats are watching, serve to impress on them the
military preparedness of the country.
• When USA tested the atom bombs in the Pacific in 1946 ,
she invited a large number of foreign dignitaries to see the
fact that the USA was bombing a group of ships large than
many of world’s navies.
5. Serving National Interests :
• Power is used not only to fulfill vital national interests
such as national security and independence,
preserving status quo and prestige etc. but also to
accomplish other national interests.
• These may be geographical, political, economic,
social, education, scientific, technical, strategic,
cultural and so on.
• Each country may have its own national interest
according to its specific needs and conditions.
• Power alone can achieve all these interests.