Chapter 6 Power and the National State: The Traditional Structure

State Units of government that exercise legal authority over a specific territory and the people in it and that recognize no legitimate higher authority.

State States share all or most of the following 6 characteristics: 1.Sovereignty 2.Territory 3.Population 4.Diplomatic recognition 5.Internal Organization 6.Domestic support

Sovereignty Most important characteristic of state Means states have supreme legal authority Sovereignty different from independence

Territory Physical boundaries Disputes over borders can and do exist (example: Israel)

Population People Range from 921 inhabitants (Vatican City) to 1.3 billion (China) With growth of NGOs and IGOs, issue of who to count in populations

Diplomatic Recognition Recognition of state by existing states A lack of recognition even by a majority does not mean state is not a state Only states can fully participate in the international system Economic issues

Internal Organization States must have some level of political and economic structure. Failed states and conflict may not end state status (examples: Sierra Leone, Afghanistan) Transitional governments

Domestic Support Social Contract People give legitimacy

Purposes of the State 1.Individual Betterment 2.Security 3.Basic Rights (see John Locke and Thomas Hobbes) 4.Domestic Tranquility

National Power Power is hard to define Power is key determinant in international system Power is goal Balance of Power=current distribution of power

Power Asset as well as goal Types of Power 1.Hard Power: rests on negative incentives (threats) and on positive incentives (inducements) 2.Soft Power: ability to persuade others to follow by leading a good example

Measuring Power Difficult b/c of intangibles Size issue Attempts to measure continue

Characteristics of Power 1.Dynamics—power in flux, cycles, balance of power, internal conditions 2.Absolute vs. Relative power 3.Power as Capacity and Will 4.Objective and Subjective 5.Situational

Political Organizations: Theories of Governance Authoritarian: A type of restrictive government where people are under the rule of an individual, such as a dictator or king, or a group, such as a party or military junta Theocracy: Rules by spiritual leaders (authoritarian)

Theories of Governance Monarchism: One form of secular authoritarianism, although the theory that God has granted kings divine to govern touches upon idea of theocracy

Theories of Governance Communism: Ideology originated in the works of Friedrich Engels and Marx that is essentially an economic theory. As such, it is the idea that an oppressed proletariat class of workers would eventually revolt against the bourgeoisie; State owns means of production (authoritarian)

Theories of Governance Fascism: Ideology that advocates extreme nationalism, with a heightened sense of national belonging or ethnic identity (authoritarian)

Theories of Governance Democracy: concept of modern liberalism—basic concept describes the ideology of a body governed by and for the people Democratic Peace Theory: Spread of Democracy = peace

National Diplomacy Direct Diplomatic Application of Power: includes the use of economic sanction or inducements as well as threatening/offering them. Indirect Diplomatic Application of Power: more subtle; involves a communications process of a state skillfully advancing its policy preferences, arguing the merits of its position.

National Diplomacy Examples: 1.US-North Korea Confrontation over nuclear weapons program 2.China-Taiwan tensions 3.Afghanistan and the United States 4.US and Iraq

Diplomacy Ever-evolving process Expansion of geographic scope Bilateral and multilateral diplomacy (number of countries involved) Leader-to-Leader diplomacy (example: summits) Democratized diplomacy (legislatures, interest groups, public opinion involved)

Newer Types of Diplomacy Parliamentary Diplomacy: includes debate and voting in IGOs as a supplement to negotiation and compromise. Open diplomacy: process widely reported and contents of international agreements widely documented.

Diplomacy Public Diplomacy: process of creating an image that enhances a country’s ability to achieve diplomatic success by increasing its soft power. (get support of the people if not the govt)

Conduct of Diplomacy Types of Diplomacy Communications process Direct Negotiations Indirect Negotiations High – Level Low – Level By Word By Deed Coercion Rewards Precise Vague Linking Issues or not Maximizing or minimizing issues at hand

Role of States Examine trends in IGOs and NGOs How will world look in 100 years? 50? 25? National interests