Power

What is Power?

Power is the ability to get someone to do something they otherwise would not do.

Power vs Authority

    Power:

  • Forceful
  • Can be just or unjust
  • Can be recognized multilaterally or not
  • Could be subjective or not legitimate

    Authority:

  • Not forceful, usually granted/earned
  • Just and recognized multilaterally
  • Usually defined and legitimate

    Machiavelli's Philosophy:

  • Realist – strong military is essential for power
  • Outcomes of actions are what matter most!
  • “Virtu” & “Fortuna”: Leaders shape their own destiny but also depend on a little luck.
  • Fear is more reliable than love… you are less likely to be betrayed if feared.

Political Leadership Styles

    Coercive:

  • "Do what I tell you"
  • Demands compliance
  • Overall negative impact on an organization
  • Can work well in times of crisis or can solve problems fast
  • Example: Saddam Hussein

    Authoritative:

  • “Come with me”
  • Mobilizes people toward a unified vision/goal
  • Works well when direction is required
  • Authoritative leaders can easily become coercive/tyrannical, when used improperly
  • Example: Xi Jinping (CCP)

    Affiliative:

  • “People come first”
  • Concentrates on harmony and building bonds
  • Works with people when they face difficult situations
  • May face criticism for not being “strong” enough
  • Example: Jimmy Carter

    Democratic:

  • “What do you think?”
  • Works together to create a consensus
  • Input from everyone is appreciated and valuable
  • Democracy can be slow when trying to work with everybody
  • Example: Barack Obama

    Pacesetting:

  • “Do it, as I do, now.”
  • Sets high standards of performance
  • Works effectively with motivated and competent people
  • Achieves quick results
  • Can dismiss others they see as “less competent”, and can be abrasive
  • Example: Elon Musk

    Coaching:

  • “Try this”
  • Develops people for the future - works to improve people
  • Improving performance by focusing on long-term strengths
  • Opposite to pacesetting, it could slow things down
  • Example: Tim Walz (American Politician)

Types of Power

    Hard Power:

  • Typically characterized as “aggressive” and “forceful”.
  • Characterized by military force or economic power.
  • This form of power can be used as a deterrent or a way to force what you want in global politics.
  • Still in use today, but was more prevalent in earlier time periods (think of Machiavelli).

    Soft Power:

  • Seen as the opposite of hard power, but both could be used in unison.
  • Refers to the cultural influence of a nation-state (i.e., films, books, significant people, etc.).
  • Looks to influence people to act in a way you want rather than coercing/forcing them to.
  • Heavily relies on a nation’s culture, international relations, scientific development, etc.

    Structural Power:

  • The power to influence the structure of how global politics works.
  • This includes norms, ideas, rules, institutions, etc.
  • Having structural power means you have the power to literally shape the rules of the game we play by (think of the constructivists).
  • For example: The UN Security Council has a very strong structural power in determining how international relations go.

    National Power:

  • Looking inwards to a country’s own ability to make things happen.
  • The combination of all of a country’s capacities and production to “make things happen”.
  • This translates into global politics; a nation-state’s national power can determine how much it can influence other countries.
  • Could involve manpower, infrastructure, ability to produce, to enforce its will, etc.

    Smart Power:

  • More recent, a combination of hard and soft power.
  • Relying on soft power to influence the world, but there still exists a strong military/economic force to reinforce this influence.
  • For example: Japan has a very strong cultural output on the world, while also maintaining a strong force in the Pacific Region.
  • The US and China both use a combination of powers.

Hegemony

    Political Dominance

  • Hegemony refers to the political leadership/dominance of one state over others (e.g. The US was a global hegemon after the Cold-War)
  • Can involve influencing/controlling political decisions of other states without direct governance

    Economical Influence

  • A hegemonic state often exerts:
    • Significant economic power
    • Shaping of global trade
    • Finance and economic policies
  • This includes control over economic institutions and currencies

    Military Superiority

  • Military strength is a crucial aspect of hegemony
  • A hegemon maintains a powerful military presence and strategic alliance
  • This ensures its ability to project power and influence globally
  • Often, power is exerted by a hegemon without use of military force

    Cultural and Ideological Leadership

  • Hegemony also involves the spread of cultural values, norms, and ideologies
  • The hegemon’s cultural influence can shape global perceptions and behaviours
  • This can make the hegemon’s ideas seem natural and universally accepted

    3 Main Points of Hegemony - Antonio Gramsci (Marxist)

  • Cultural Leadership:
    • Ruling class maintains power by establishing cultural and ideological leadership
    • This means they shape the norms, values, beliefs, and worldviews of society to align with their interests, making their dominance seem natural and inevitable (structural power)
  • Consent and Coercion:
    • Hegemony is achieved through a combination of consent and coercion
    • Ruling class using institutions (ex. schools, churches, media) to gain consent of the governed by promoting their ideology
    • At the same time, they use the state and its apparatus (police, military) to enforce rules when necessary
  • Counter-Hegemony:
    • Gramsci believed that the oppressed classes could challenge dominant hegemony by creating a counter-hegemony
    • This involves developing an alternative set of ideas, values, and beliefs that can mobilize the masses and challenge the status quo
    • Intellectuals and cultural works play a crucial role by raising awareness and organizing resistance

    Multipolarity:

  • When multiple powers are competing in geopolitics with comparable strength
  • Many argue we live in a multipolar world today

    Bipolarity:

  • When there are two competing world powers
  • The best example of this was the Cold War between the USA and the USSR