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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL PUNJAB

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE

EMMERGING SECURITY CONCEPTS; ISSUES

IN REGIONAL & GLOBAL SECURITY

Course Instructor: Inam Ghani

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 WEEK 2

Elements of National Power

 Power
• All politics, domestic and international, reveal three basic patterns, that is, all political
phenomena can be reduced to one of three basic types. A political policy seeks either to
keep power, to increase power, or to demonstrate power. (Morgenthau1 )
• “Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the
behaviour of other entities.”
• A more comprehensive definition applicable to international relations is “the ability of an
international actor to use its tangible and intangible resources and assets in such a way as
to influence the outcomes of events in the international system in the direction of
improving its own satisfaction with the system.”
• It points to a relationship between power and influence.
• The latter is actually the carrier of power or the means to use power in pursuit of one's
own objectives.
• Power is also subject to growth and decline, both in real and relative terms.
• If we compare the power of the United States with that of China, we can see that a decade
back the U.S. was far more powerful compared to China than today.
• This is despite the fact that the U.S. power has not declined materially during these days.
 Ways of manifestation of Power
• According to Alvin Toffler, power can be manifested in three different ways; that is,
• violence,
• wealth and
• knowledge.
• Each successive kind of power represents a more flexible kind of power.
• Violence, which he describes as low-quality power involves coercion or punishment and is
extremely inflexible.
• Hence, even when it works, it produces resistance.
• Wealth, by contrast, is a far better tool of power.
• It is much more flexible because it can be used in a positive way (through rewards,
payments and pay-offs) or in a negative way (by holding or threatening to hold money).
• Wealth is thus considered a medium quality power.
• The highest quality power comes from the application of knowledge.
• Knowledge can be used to punish, reward, persuade and even transform an enemy into an
ally.
• It increases efficiency and also serves to enhance both, wealth and force.
• During the Industrial Revolution, power shifted from a nobility acting primarily through
violence to industrialists and financiers acting through wealth.
• Of course, the nobility used wealth just as the industrial elite used violence, but the
dominant form of power shifted from violence to wealth.
• Today, a third wave of shifting power is taking place with wealth being overtaken by
knowledge.
• There are two types of power,
• Hard power, is reflective of the material prowess of the state and achieves its
objective by coercion and manipulation;
• Soft Power is based on values, culture, policies, institutions, diplomacy etc and their
ability to influence through cooperation rather than coercion.
• Power does not have to be used to be effective.
• It is often enough that the other actors acknowledge the presence of power, either
implicitly or explicitly, since the potential exercise of acknowledged or presumed power
can be as intimidating as its actual use; hence the concept and practice of deterrence.
 National Power
• Since in international relations we are concerned more with the behaviour of states rather
than individuals,
• National power or state power may be described as “a mix of strategic, military, economic,
political and psychological strengths and weaknesses of a country or a state .”
• According to the U.S. Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, “National Power is the
sum of all resources available to a nation in the pursuit of national objectives.”
• Historically, military strength was considered as the main criterion of national power of a
state or country.
• However, to attain and sustain military strength, other factors are also essential.
• History has also taught us that militaries alone cannot win, it is only one element of national
strategy and many other factors must act in cohesion for the strategy Power does not have to
be used to be effective. Hence the concept and practice of deterrence.
• While the military strength of a country is an important ingredient of the national power,
there are other vital factors as well which determine the national power of a state.
• A mix of these factors, commonly referred to as the elements or instruments of national
power, determine the power of a state.
• National power is a mix of elements such as population, size, territory, natural
resources, economic strength, military force, and social stability, etc.
• Nevertheless, the presence of one or few elements alone cannot guarantee national power.
• Similarly, the absence of an element does not necessarily mean a decline in national
power.
• The huge size of India, Brazil or Saudi Arabia; the large populations of India, Pakistan, or
Bangladesh, the industrial makeup of Belgium; and the first-class army of Switzerland do
not make them big powers.
• Another important factor is to differentiate between possessing the elements of power
(potential power) and converting these elements into actual power.
 Measurement of National Power
• The measurement of a nation’s power is a difficult matrix because it involves the task of
measuring and analyzing (quantitatively & qualitatively) a large number of tangible and
intangible factors/elements.
• The need to analyze the actual and potential power of a nation further makes the task
difficult.
• However, political scientists advocate the measurement of national power in respect of
following three factors:
1- Domain of National Power
• “The set of persons whose behavior is significantly changed by the application of power.”
• Domain is divided into internal and external domains.
• Internal domain is constituted by the territory and population within the boundaries of a
country. It can be measured in terms of population, area and gross national product.
• External domain includes those territories and populations outside that belong to its “sphere
of influence‟. It can be analyzed in terms of spheres of influence, alliances, dependencies
and the degree of penetration in the political processes of other countries.
• The external domain of USA can be measured in terms of its alliances like NATO etc, and
the number of its foreign military bases and areas of influence in different parts of the
world.
• However, measuring of domain is a difficult task. The quality of alliance relation is not
measureable.
• NATO continues to be in existence and has registered an expansion as well.
• However, it now operates with a relatively less effective and less useful role.
• We cannot ascertain exactly as to how much influence US has over France, Germany or
Turkey.
• As such, measurement of domain of power can be done only in a limited way.
2- Range of National Power
• Defined as “the difference between the highest reward and the worst punishment which
a power holder can bestow or inflict upon some persons in his/her domain”.
• Range is the intensity of the power exercised upon others.
• The internal range or intensity of power can be measured by taking into account the use of
force and punishment as well as of reward or distribution of values for exercising power
over the people at home.
• A democratic government uses influence, persuasion and rewards, whereas a tyrant or
a dictator uses force and punishment for securing obedience to his policies and laws.
• The external range or the intensity of the power can be measured in terms of the means
which a state actually uses or can use for securing its desired ends and policies.
• The amount of economic rewards (aid, grant, loans) that a nation gives or receives can
indicate the range of power that it has in international relations.
• However, there exists no specific way to precisely measure the intensity of the power.
• USA has been the biggest aid giver and the most developed country of the world, yet we
cannot exactly measure the intensity of its power over other nations.
3- Scope of National Power
• Scope of national power means “the set or collection of all the particular classes of behavior,
relations and affairs that are effectively subjected to government power”.
• Scope consists of all the activities of the government, internal as well as external.
• The external activities include the demonstration of power to keep others dependent for
one thing or the other and to use the interdependence of relations for ones benefit.
 Elements of National Power
• Couloumbis and Wolfe divide national power into:
A. Tangible
1. Population,
2. Territory,
3. Natural resources and
4. Industrial capacity,
5. Agricultural capacity,
6. Military strength
7. Mobility
B. Intangible
8. leadership and personality,
9. bureaucratic-organizational efficiency,
10. type of government,
11. societal cohesiveness,
12. reputation,
13. foreign support and diplomacy,
14. accidents
1- Population
• Population in this context does not refer only to the number of people in a country; it also
includes the demographics as well as the nature and quality of the inhabitants of a particular
state or country.
• That can be described through the use of parameters such as size, age distribution,
geographic distribution, ethnic/religious makeup, quality of individuals, etc.
• The dynamics of population growth, settlement patterns and movement across the borders
will have a major impact on the power potential of a state.
• Therefore, demographic factors need to be viewed as a potentially important contributor to
the power of states.
• A large population is a key prerequisite, but not an absolute guarantee for national strength.
• Quality, quantity, morale, will of people, demographic shifts and population pressures are
all important determinants of national power subject to varying contexts of geopolitics.
• Moreover, as in the case of the geopolitical ownership of strategic places, the physical
possession of natural resources is not necessarily a source of power unless a nation can also
develop those resources and maintain political control over their disposition.
• The dependence of nations on crucial resources can severely restrict their national power and
influence.
• Conversely, the dependence of others on a resource held by a particular country or countries
can add to the latter’s influence and power.
2- Natural resources
• The availability of natural resources, in the form of food, minerals, energy, etc, plays an
extremely important role in the relative power structure of nations.
• Large amounts of natural resources are essential for a modern nation to wage war, to
operate an industrial base, and to reward other international actors through trade and
aid.
• The dependence of the world on oil supplies from the Gulf has exalted the geostrategic
importance of this region and hence provided these states with an instrument of power,
which they amply demonstrated in the oil crisis of the 1970s to the detriment of the West.
• The almost complete dependence of Japan on raw materials is a critical issue in the survival
calculations of the Japanese.
• The importance of natural resources varies with time and technology.
• A resource, nevertheless, is a potential element of power and if the mother country is not in
a position to utilize or defend this resource, it may invite envy or even aggression.
• So, it is important also to have the technology and the wherewithal to exploit the gifts of
nature.
• The source of strength the U.S. enjoys from its abundant natural resources and immense
technological and industrial capability is the cornerstone of U.S. position as the sole super
power of the world.
3- Economy
• The economic factor is becoming more and more relevant to the modern world and may be
considered one of the most important elements, especially since it is related closely with
and has influence over most other elements of power: natural or social, stable or
unstable, tangible or intangible.
• Economy is a more comprehensive term that encompasses other factors such as industrial
capacity and technology, etc., which were referred to as independent elements of power by
writers in the past.
• A strong economy is a must to sustain and exploit other elements of national power.
• It is gradually taking over from the military element as the chief means to influence
another nation or state.
• No country can maintain a viable military without a strong economy.
• Even if a country enjoys an ideal geography and abundance of natural resources, it has to
have a strong viable economy to exploit its resources, feed its people and run its military
establishment, and in turn, maintain the sanctity of its territorial integrity.
• Without a viable, sustainable economy, a country is at the mercy of others, like Pakistan.
4- Military
• Military strength has been the most obvious & visible symbol of a country's national power.
• The proverb “might is right” is definitely right in international relations.
• The unchecked and unjustifiable show of force by the U.S. (supported by its Western allies)
in countries across the globe, in pursuit of its hegemonic interests, is a clear manifestation of
the importance of this element of national power.
• It was assumed after the two world wars that the world had seen enough destruction, and that
the institution of the United Nations would usher in an era of peace and progress.
• However, the natural lust of humans for power and their mistrust and suspicion of each other
has continued to mar the world with more and more conflict and the United Nations has
become only a tool in the hands of the powerful.
• The basic composition of the United Nations, giving preferential status to the powerful five,
defied its stated objective from the very beginning.
Intangible elements:
1- Government:
• The quality and character of the government is extremely important.
• It is the government which bears the responsibility of all actions within a state.
• If the government is honest, capable and efficient, and it has the support of its people, it can
take bold decisions and does not have to fear outside forces.
• The government should have the ability and will to bring all the elements of national power
to bear upon an issue.
• A government has to cater for the interests of its people, ensure welfare and development,
guarantee social justice, law and order and harmony.
• Such a government will always have the backing of its population.
• When these basic necessities are provided for, it will automatically raise the morale and
national integration.
• The Americans have always trusted and supported their governments in international affairs.
• This has been a national character despite repeated betrayals and lies by successive
governments.
• This is one of the strengths which has allowed the U.S. to project its military power around
the world with impunity.
2- Diplomacy:
• One of the important tasks of the governments includes diplomacy.
• Diplomacy is the skill of managing international relations.
• Morgenthau describes diplomacy as “The conduct of a nation’s foreign affairs by its
diplomats is for national power in peace what military strategy and tactics by its
military leaders are for national power in war”.
• It is the art of bringing the different elements of national power to bear with maximum
effect upon those points in the international situation which concern the national interest
most directly.
• Diplomacy, one might say, is the brains of national power, as national morale is its soul.
• If its vision is blurred, its judgment defective, and its determination feeble, all the
advantages of geographical location, of self-sufficiency in food, raw materials, and
industrial production, of military preparedness, of size and quality of population will in the
long run avail a nation little.
3- National Character
• National character also plays an important role in diplomacy and policy making.
• The Hindus are very shrewd and calculative and have the ability to sweet-talk their
opponents; the Americans are very arrogant but when confronted with strong will can
easily change their position.
• The Chinese are very pragmatic, cool and calculative in their dealings with the foreigners.
• The Germans are considered a very disciplined and hardworking nation which has always
helped the Germans rally behind their leaders and rise after every defeat.
4- National will and morale
• The degree of determination that any actor manifests in the pursuit of its internal or
external objectives.
• How a rag-tag army of few thousand ill-equipped, ill-trained, ill-fed Taliban fought the
history's mightiest military power and brought the coalition of U.S. and its 40 allies to a
situation where they are forced to negotiate an honorable exit for themselves?
• How the Vietnamese managed to defeat a super power?
• These questions cannot be answered by counting the material elements of national power.
5- Nationalism
• This factor, unfortunately, is not given due consideration in the discussion of elements of
national power.
• Unlike religion or ethnicity, nationalism has no sects or factions and is therefore the
most effective binding force.
• Nationalism is the only force which can effectively bring people of different colours and
creeds together.
• Once a nation is truly united, it finds its own ways to development and progress.
• Such a country need not fear an adversary or adversity because the bond of nationhood
motivates people to stand by each other and also give strength to the representative
government.
6- Adversaries:
• Sometimes adversities help bring an otherwise divided people together.
• The United States and its allies could easily invade Iraq and Afghanistan because their
people are divided into ethnic and sectarian groups, but they will never venture against
countries like Iran and North Korea which stand as one nation.
• So, nationalism provides a degree of integration and a sense of belonging which contribute
to national will and morale.
 Conclusion
• Power is the ability of an individual or state to influence or control the behaviour of others.
• Power can be used in different ways ranging from persuasion to punishment.
• The concept and tools of power keep on evolving over time, and a skilled player knows
how and when to use the right power tools to achieve desired objectives.
• It must be kept in mind that power is not absolute and may vary in time and space and in
relation to others.
• National power is depended on various elements, and while dealing with other states a
comprehensive understanding of their elements of power, both tangible and intangible, is
essential. It must also be borne in mind that the presence or absence of an element of
power does not guarantee power or otherwise.
• A state must continue to revisit its strengths and weaknesses in terms of known elements of
power and strive to achieve a realistic balance between its resources and capabilities.
• Regardless of the material and physical strength of a state, ultimate victory will largely
depend on the intangible factors such as the morale, character of people and government,
and nationalism.
• It is, therefore, important for the leaders to pay due attention to this very important element
of national power.
Thankyou very much!

Questions?