Is the balance of power at work in the world today? The balance of power is constantly at work, though not always involving the actors with whom we are familiar. And not always in ways that are obvious to the untrained eye. Our world can experience war, terrorism, bloodshed... or peace, prosperity, and understanding... and the balance of power is maintained. For our planet to have a balance of power, power must be concentrated in those nations who are willing to maintain the status qu...

What is power? What is the difference between political and economic power? Is there such a thing as cultural power? What is the difference between power and influence or power and force? Power, officially, is "control over the minds and actions of other actors in order to maintain the distribution of power that exists in a particular moment. More generally, the ability to control resources, to control the behavior of other actors, to control events, to control the outcomes of interac...

What is the role of international law in international relations? International law serves as an arbiter between the nations as they strive to one-up each other. Law provides "norms of permissible and impermissible behavior, sets a body of expectations, provides order, protects the status quo, and legitimates the use of force by a government to maintain order" (Mingst, 186). It keeps the Iraqs from invading the Kuwaits... again. International law establishes rules of conduct and order ...

Why is the concept of a system a powerful descriptive and explanatory device in IR? The Encyclopedia Britannica defines a system as a "set of formal legal institutions that constitute a "government" or a "state." This is the definition adopted by many studies of the legal or constitutional arrangements of advanced political orders." By encapsulating the power of the state into a system, scholars distill a complex nation-state down to its primal essence: a structure with a working dynamic...

Just as a nuclear physicist constructs a theory about the causes and effects of a project before going out to the test range and detonating, it's important that scholars and practitioners of international relations have a strong framework of theory before going out onto the UN floor. Trial and error is not an option, whether it's diplomacy or nuclear physics! Through international theory, we can examine scenarios and motivations regarding states to "understand the causes of events th...

How is state power measured? According to Mingst, state power comes in three ways: natural sources, like geographic, natural resources, and population; tangible sources, such as industrial development and access to resources; and intangible sources, like national image, public support, and leadership. (108-12) Natural sources of power are not available to all countries, and therefore very prized. To have a large nation chock full of resources and people is the ideal. However, for ...

By the end of the Second World War (WWII), Europe and Japan were in shambles. The United Nations (UN) was established after WWII to prevent war from breaking out again. It was not founded to govern over the myriad nations of the earth, but rather to preserve the sovereignty of each through international oversight and action. All nations could have a seat in the General Assembly, but only five nations would comprise the UN Security Council: the United States (US), France, the United Kingdom...

The development dilemma addresses the compulsion for the so-called Second and Third Worlds to grow and prosper only through sustainable development. Sustainable development is defined as improving living standards without sacrificing environmental integrity, thus allowing nations to grow with minimal impact on the environment. This is in complete contrast with the development of those countries that have already gone through their growth phases. The nations of the First World became indust...

Is the UN "law" on the unilateral use of force, articulated in Article 2(4), irrelevant? Does it serve any purpose(s)? The UN banned the unilateral use of force in order to defer all war to the decision of a consensus of nations, as presently embodied in the United Nations. As far back as the Hague Conferences of 1899, groups of nations have tried "to limit the national use of armaments" (Slomanson 485). Instead of banning war (which was politically impossible), they settled for a ...

What are the ramifications of expanding or changing the membership of the Permanent Membership of the UN Security Council (PSC). Before I give my "final answer" (with apologies to Regis), I think expanding the permanent membership is a very bad move. If it was hard getting five consenting PSC states during the Cold War, how hard will it be with seven, nine, or twelve? Any expansion of the membership will degrade the PSC's ability to pass resolutions and lead to further stalemates. Do Gr...

INTRODUCTION Since its founding in 1945, the United Nations' mission has evolved. Its initial charge was to foster international peace through dialogue and preventive action. Over the years, the means to peace have been changed to encompass bringing law, security, and prosperity to a troubled, war torn world. From its New York headquarters, the UN oversees Third World development projects and gives essential guidance to nations on the brink of disaster. America's role in the United N...

One international law scholar has observed that, "The determination of customary international law is more an art than it is a scientific method." Determining customary international law is esoteric and amorphous. Since there is no one body of rules for governance, no one criteria or standard for beginning (or ending) conflict, nor is there a bellwether for conduct between states, it is very difficult to strictly codify the "rules of international law". Approaches such as "traditional po...

The best way to erase gender in IR theory is for more women to step up to the plate. How can females be heard over the din of male theorists? Tickner describes her frustration with "traditional notions of national security... becoming dysfunctional" (Kaufman 739). She goes on to express her opinion that this dysfunctionality comes from "unequal gender relations. The relationship between protectors and protected depends on gender inequalities; a militarized version of security p...

INTRODUCTION The foundations for international relations theory were laid in the 5th century BC; trying to keep up with the changing political landscape since then has been difficult. Philosophers have tried to impose order onto the ever-changing world; those theorists had been traditionally grouped into two schools: "realist" and "liberal". However, recent international developments have strained classical definition. In light of new incidents, scholars have redefined or deconstructe...

INTRODUCTION Cooperation between states is not only practical but also necessary for mutual ensured survival. Complaints are laid against multinational and nongovernmental organizations, that they maintain the status quo and are hesitant to go in, guns blazing, to affect change within a rogue nation. However, without the levels of social and international understanding and cooperation that exist today, the world would be full of nations ruthlessly attacking one another, waiting for anoth...