Balance of Power
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Alan Sense explains the concept of the balance of power in global politics, a central theory in international relations and political realism. He explores how states act to maintain equilibrium by balancing growing powers, either through increasing their own power or forming alliances. Using examples from history, such as pre-World War Europe and the Cold War, Sense demonstrates how this theory explains state behavior, alliances, and even war. The discussion also raises questions about the current global power structure and the future of U.S. dominance.
Takeaways
- ๐ The balance of power is a key concept in global politics, often associated with political realism.
- โ๏ธ The balance of power refers to a theory of state behavior where states act to maintain equilibrium in the international system.
- ๐ช States balance power either by increasing their own power or forming alliances to prevent any one state from dominating the system.
- ๐ Realists believe that states strive to maintain this balance to prevent conflict and preserve stability.
- โ๏ธ Sometimes, maintaining the balance of power requires war, especially when a state's growth threatens the balance.
- ๐ The balance of power is dynamic and constantly changing, as states shift alliances and adjust their strategies based on perceived threats.
- ๐๏ธ Historically, most balance of power systems have been multipolar, with several great powers exerting influence.
- ๐ก๏ธ After World War II, the world shifted from a multipolar system to a bipolar system, dominated by the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
- ๐ Following the Cold War, the U.S. emerged as a unipolar power, leading to debates about whether other states would balance against it.
- ๐ The theory of the balance of power is still relevant today, as scholars debate its applicability in the contemporary unipolar world.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the video series mentioned in the script?
-The video series focuses on exploring key concepts and ideas central to the study of international relations and global politics.
What is the 'balance of power' theory in international relations?
-The balance of power is a theory of state behavior that argues states act to maintain a balance or equilibrium of power in the international system to prevent any one state from dominating the others.
How do states typically respond if another state gains too much power?
-States will act to balance against the growing power either by increasing their own power or forming alliances with other states.
What happens if states are unable to increase their own power to counterbalance a stronger state?
-If states cannot increase their own power due to constraints like resources or money, they form alliances with other states to collectively balance against the growing power.
Does balancing power always lead to peace in the international system?
-Not always. While maintaining a balance of power can lead to long periods of peace, sometimes it requires war, as states may go to war to prevent another from becoming too powerful.
Can alliances in the international system change over time?
-Yes, alliances can shift based on changes in perceived threats or the distribution of power. For example, today B and C might form an alliance, but in the future, C and D could ally instead.
What is a multipolar system, and can you provide a historical example?
-A multipolar system is one where there are multiple centers of power in the international system. An example is Europe prior to World War I, where five to seven great powers held significant influence.
What was the global power structure after World War II, and how was it different from previous eras?
-After World War II, the global power structure was described as a bipolar system, with two main centers of power: the United States and the Soviet Union. This was different from previous multipolar systems where multiple countries held significant power.
What is meant by the term 'unipolar' in the context of global politics after the Cold War?
-Unipolar refers to a power structure with only one dominant state, which, after the Cold War, was the United States. In this system, the U.S. acted as the hegemonic power.
What is the contemporary debate in global politics regarding the balance of power theory?
-The contemporary debate focuses on whether states are balancing against the United States, which currently acts as the hegemonic power, and whether balance of power theory will hold in the future.
Outlines
๐ Introduction to Green College and Global Politics Series
In this paragraph, Alan Sense introduces himself and mentions that he is at Green College, a residential institution at the University of British Columbia that houses graduate students and researchers. He explains that the video is part of a series on global politics and will cover key concepts central to international relations. The focus for this video is on the balance of power, a foundational theory in global politics, particularly within the realist school of thought.
โ๏ธ Understanding the Balance of Power Theory
Alan introduces the concept of the balance of power, explaining it as a theory of state behavior in global politics. States aim to preserve an equilibrium of power to prevent any one state from dominating the international system. This theory is a key component of political realism. He draws an analogy by imagining a system with five states of roughly equal power and explains how these states act to maintain balance, ensuring no single state can dominate the others.
๐ก๏ธ Methods of Balancing Power
This paragraph explores the two primary ways states balance power: (1) by increasing their own power and (2) by forming alliances. Alan gives an example where State A experiences a growth in power, prompting State D to enhance its military capabilities to maintain balance. However, some states may not have the resources to increase their power, so they resort to alliances, as illustrated by States B and C joining forces to counterbalance State A's growth.
โ๏ธ War and the Balance of Power
Alan discusses how balancing power can sometimes require war, especially if a state becomes aggressive, such as State A attacking State E. In such a scenario, the other states would intervene to maintain equilibrium in the system. This balance of power behavior may lead to conflict when states act to prevent a single actor from becoming too powerful. He emphasizes the dynamic nature of this system, where alliances and relative power are constantly shifting.
๐ The Dynamic and Fluid Nature of State Power
The paragraph continues the discussion of the fluidity of state behavior in the international system. Alan highlights how the relative power of states is in constant flux, leading to the frequent formation and dissolution of alliances. He notes that the shifting alliances and changing power structures are central to realist theories of international relations, which suggest that states continuously act to preserve equilibrium in the system.
๐ Historical Applications of the Balance of Power
In this section, Alan looks at historical examples of balance of power systems, focusing on multipolar systems like pre-World War I Europe and ancient China. He also explains how the global system shifted from multipolarity to bipolarity during the Cold War, with the U.S. and the Soviet Union being the two dominant powers. After the Cold War, the system became unipolar, with the U.S. as the single hegemon. He raises the question of whether balance of power theory will prompt states to balance against the U.S.'s dominance.
๐ Contemporary Debates on the Balance of Power
In the final paragraph, Alan touches on contemporary debates in global politics regarding whether states are balancing against U.S. hegemony in the post-Cold War unipolar system. He leaves the viewer with a question: is the balance of power theory still relevant today, and if so, are we seeing evidence of states attempting to balance against a single dominant actor? He concludes the video and invites viewers to join future discussions in the series.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กBalance of Power
๐กState Behavior
๐กRealism
๐กEquilibrium
๐กAlliances
๐กMultipolar System
๐กBipolar System
๐กUnipolar System
๐กPolarity
๐กHegemony
Highlights
Balance of power is a key concept in global politics and a theory of state behavior.
Balance of power refers to states acting to preserve equilibrium to prevent domination.
The concept is integral to realism and political realism theory in international relations.
States act to balance power through increasing their own power or forming alliances.
Balancing can prevent a state from dominating the entire international system.
States may increase military capacity to balance against a growing power.
Alliances are formed to combine efforts and balance against a dominant state.
Preserving balance of power could lead to a long period of peace.
War may be necessary to maintain balance in certain situations.
The balance of power is dynamic and requires constant adjustment by states.
Shifting alliances are determined by the threat level and distribution of power.
Realists argue that balance of power theory captures the history of international relations.
Most historical power systems have been multi-polar with multiple centers of power.
Post-World War II, the world experienced a bipolar balance of power system.
After the Cold War, the world is considered unipolar with the United States as the hegemon.
The extent to which states balance against the United States is a contemporary debate.
The balance of power theory is applicable to understanding current global politics.
Transcripts
hi my name is Alan sense and I'm
standing outside green college at the
University of British Columbia this
college is a residential college for
grad students post-doctoral and doctoral
fellows who are all interested in
interdisciplinarity in their teaching
and
learning welcome to the global politics
instructional video series in this
series we're exploring a number of
different concepts and ideas that are
Central to the study of international
relations and global politics and today
we're looking at the balance of power
now obviously the balance of power is a
key concept of the study of global
politics and we hear about it all the
time uh in the media or in Reading
history books but when we talk about
global politics and balance of power in
the context of global politics we're
referring mostly to this idea that the
balance of power is a theory of State
Behavior it makes an argument about why
States act the way they do and how they
act when faced with certain
situations the whole idea of the balance
of power is a very big part of realism
and the political realism theory in
international relations so let's have a
look at the balance of power
okay the balance of
power now as I said earlier a balance of
power uh can be simply described as a
theory of State behavior and what they
really means is that states
act to
preserve a
balance or if you like equilibrium of
power in the
system so what I thought I'd do is
simply
draw an International System here for
you and I'm going to populate
it with five
states and this is going to assume that
all of these states A B C D and E are
all roughly equivalent in power hence
their approximate identical
size and the whole idea of this balance
of power behavior is that states act to
preserve a balance of power in the
system to prevent any one of these
States from dominating all the others in
other words if it looks like any of
these countries is growing in power to
the extent that it could dominate the
entire system maybe even conquer all the
other states in the system these states
these other states will act to
balance that power in an effort to
achieve an equilibrium in the
system now balancing can be achieved in
one of two different
ways the first way states can balance
against a growing power is by
increasing their own
power so let's use an example let's say
State a for whatever reason experiences
a growth in power perhaps a combination
of Economic and political reasons State
A's power in the system is
enhanced now according to theory of
balance of power these other states are
going to be nervous about that and
they're want going to want to take
measures to ensure that they balance
against this growth in power by state a
because they don't want to see State a
grow to the extent that is capable of
dominating the system or maybe even
conquering all the other states in the
system so they're going to be balancing
in one of two different ways and the
first way is by increasing their own
power so let's say State d looks at
State a and the government of State says
hm we see that state a has increased its
power we want to balance that power to
make sure that state a doesn't dominate
the system and so State D can try to
increase their own power and that might
involve increasing their military
capacity or uh or so on and the whole
idea then of course is that they have
achieved an equilibrium or a balance
between State a and themselves but not
all countries are capable of increasing
their power that easily easily there may
be resource constraints and monetary
constraints and so on and so the second
way to Balance power is through
alliances and in this case State B and
state C may look at the growth in power
by state a and think to themselves H we
need to balance against that growth in
power but we really don't have the
potential to increase our own power so
we are going to
form an
alliance and this idea then of forming
an alliance means that states B and C
are combining their efforts in order to
balance the Growing Power of state
A and so either through increasing their
own power or by forming alliances States
engage in this type of balance of power
behavior and therefore the balance of
power or equilibrium in the system is is
maintained State a is no longer in a
position where it could perhaps come to
dominate the
system now preserving the balance of
power could mean a long period of Peace
uh for example if this system that we
have here is in equilibrium and stays
that way there might very well be no war
in the system but sometimes preserving
the balance of power does require
War so for example let's say State a
decides to attack State e
for whatever reason now in this case
countries b c and d are going to be very
worried because if State a conquers
State e it will take the economic power
the resources the population and so on
of that state and add it to its own thus
vastly increasing its own power and
States b c and d are going to want to
prevent that and they'll prevent it by
going to war to support state e against
State a
in this case balance of power Behavior
actually leads to war because War
becomes necessary to restore or maintain
an equilibrium or balance in the
system now obviously this is all very
Dynamic very fluid and the relative
power of states in the system is in
constant flux it's changing all the time
and so this requires constant adjustment
States increasing their own power or
engaging in alliances and all this
Behavior can change over time alliances
can shift today B and C are an alliance
but maybe in the future C and
D would form an alliance and all of that
will be determined by who is considered
more threatening to the system on how
the systems polarity or distribution of
power is
maintained the whole idea of this of
course realists say captures the entire
history of international relations the
history of the the rise and decline of
state power the history of Shifting
alliances and the whole idea is all of
this originates with a basic theory that
states are engaging in policies to
achieve a balance of power or an
equilibrium amongst them in the system
to ensure that that system cannot be
dominated by one
actor okay so that was the balance of
power now what's interesting about the
balance of Po as a theory is we can
apply it to today so if you look back in
history many have argued that most of
the bounce of Power Systems in the world
have been multi-polar systems and what
that means is that there were multiple
centers of power in the system for
example Europe prior to World War I and
World War II in those periods you could
say that the system was multi-polar in
that there were a number of different
countries five to seven depending how
you add them up that had the most power
in the system and we traditionally call
those the great Powers the Waring States
period of China many argue there were as
many as nine kingdoms that were in the
struggle for power in that part of the
world at that
time now after World War II we have a
situation which is often described as a
bipolar balance of power system a system
in which there were two centers of power
one centered on the United States and
the Western world and a second centered
on the Soviet Union and the so-called
communist
block now after the Cold War we have a
situation that many describe as unipolar
with one state the United States acting
as a heimen and this is really
interesting because what this means is
that if balance of power Theory holds
for the future we should see States
balance against the United States
balance against this single hedge of
demonic actor and the extent to which we
are seeing that kind of behavior or not
seeing that kind of behavior is a very
big part of contemporary debate in
global politics I hope you enjoy this
video join me again next
time
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