Hard Power: Most Important Type of Power? Flashcards
arguments suggesting that hard power is the most important type of power in global politics
military power is very important
economic power is very important
soft power is of limited importance
arguments suggesting that hard power is NOT the most important type of power in global politics
effectiveness and importance of military power can be questioned
effectiveness and importance of economic power can be questioned
soft power is more important to possess than hard power
military power is very important
military power is a form of hard power and is arguably one of the most important types of power in global politics
military power is the traditional currency of world politics
realists place a particular emphasis on military power because they believe the international system is structured above all by security and survival, in a self-help world states face national disaster unless they have the capacity for self-defence
the importance of military power is seen in how emerging powers can also be seen to have transformed the world order by posing serious threats to the USA’s military power
Russia and China are both beginning to challenge US military might, both in terms of the global reach of their forces and the sophistication of their weaponry
China is developing short and medium range missiles and nuclear powered submarines in order to have the dominant military force in the South China Sea
while Russia announced that it had constructed the world’s most lethal nuclear weapon, the RS:28 Sarmat, which can dodge radar, travel up to 10,000 km and carry up to 12 warheads
additionally, there is a huge gap between the destructive capacity of the US military machine and what it can achieve politically, unlike Russia, which has proven to be much more willing to use its military capabilities
the USA remains the dominant military power
not only does it have world’s largest military budget (in 2015 it spent $610 billion on defence, which is more than the rest of the world’s spending on defence put together, with its nearest rival China only spending $216 billion), but it also has 800 military bases in over 70 countries (Russia only has 10) and 13 operational aircraft carriers (whereas Russia and China both only have 1)
the US Navy is also greater in size than that of the next 17 Navies combined
the USA is clearly the sole power that can intervene militarily in any part of the world and sustain multiple operations, having truly global military reach
the importance and effectiveness of military power can be questioned
the importance and effectiveness of military power can be questioned
growing trade links and increasing interdependence makes interstate war more costly and so less likely
military force has therefore become less reliable and less important in the modern world
states seem to be less willing to use hard power due to failed attempts to do so in the past, which has driven a shift to soft power
the use of military power has damaged the credibility and international standing of states that use it
for instance, the Iraq War arguably undermined US influence in global politics - the torture of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers during the war decreased the USA’s international reputation and led Obama to shift to a policy of soft power
furthermore, hard power seems to be decreasing in effectiveness as conflict with states like Iraq and Afghanistan have proved difficult to win due to the strategies of guerrilla warfare and terrorism, which the US faced issues with during the Iraq War
China may have increased its military capability but it has not yet been able to assert its legal claims over the South China Sea or establish military superiority in the region
in fact, US bases in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines Australia and the Malacca Straits effectively encircle China – hard power is of limited effectiveness
economic power is very important and effective
economic power is a very important form of hard power, determines what states are considered superpowers and what states are considered weak
BRICS states are rising in economic influence and pose real threats to US hegemony in terms of its economic power
together, the BRICS states represent nearly 20% of global GDP and 17% of global trade
in particular, China is often regarded as the power that most directly challenges the idea of unipolarity as it is soon expected to overtake the US economy in terms of both GDP and foreign direct investment, possibly even as soon as 2020, due to its rapid growth that far exceeds the growth rates of the USA
in fact, China has already overtaken the USA as the biggest investor in Africa and South America, a particular threat to US hegemony seeing as the US regards South America as its ‘backyard’
the USA is also in debt to China – in 2017, its debt to China amounted to over $1 trillion
the USA still remains the world’s largest economy and has not yet been overtaken - economic power is important to have as it has enabled the USA to remain the global hegemon
for instance, its GDP in 2016 was over $18 trillion, whereas China’s was only $11 trillion
moreover, despite the 2008 financial crisis, the US dollar is still the main form of international currency and Wall Street is the world’s central global trading hub
the USA also has huge amounts of economic structural power in important organs of global economic governance, such as the World Trade Organisation, World Bank and IMF
for example, within the IMF, decisions require an 85% majority, and seeing as the USA alone wields over 16% of the voting share, it has the power of veto and the ability to knock down any rulings or decisions that it deems to be against its national interest
the importance and effectiveness of economic power can be questioned
the importance and effectiveness of military power can be questioned
economic sanctions (a form of hard power) are only effective on states that seek to access the global economy
this is why sanctions on North Korea have been largely ineffective in changing their pursuit of nuclear weapons
these factors have led to the increased use of soft power as it’s becoming clear that hard power in its many forms is waning in its effectiveness and seems to have little benefits for everyone involved
since 2014, the EU has imposed economic sanctions on Russia due to its military backing of Russian nationalist Separatists in Ukraine and it’s annexation of Crimea
this includes the freezing of assets held in the EU by individuals and entities associated with Putin and his government as well as a ban on certain exports to Russia – but this has been ineffective
such sanctions have been unsuccessful in bringing about a withdrawal of Russian support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine
sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa may have contributed to the emergence of black majority rule in the country but domestic factors were probably more important in ending the apartheid regime than the sanctions
soft power is of limited importance
hard power is more important – e.g. other states have challenged the USA’s cultural dominance but the USA remains the global hegemon because of its hard power, soft power is of limited importance
other cultures are becoming more influential on a global scale
for example, Bollywood is in direct competition with Hollywood and the most popular sports teams in the world are Manchester United and Real Madrid
China has been expanding its global cultural influence by opening Confucius Institutes across the world, which spread Chinese values
the USA’s soft power, resulting from its cultural influence, has been dramatically undermined by controversies such as the Iraq War, waterboarding, covert rendition and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp – yet the USA is still the global hegemon due to its economic and military power, suggesting that hard power is more important than soft power
the UK has topped recent league tables of soft power states – but it is not considered a superpower because it lacks sufficient hard power, demonstrating that soft power is not important if you don’t also have hard power
soft power is more important to have than hard power
soft power is a concept developed by Joseph Nye, it refers to the ability of a state to persuade others to do what it wants without using force or coercion (which constitutes hard power), this can be achieved through appeal and attraction which may include the use of culture, political ideals and foreign policies
more important to have than hard power
globalisation has caused a growth in complex interdependence and interconnectedness between states
it has resulted in a world of global markets and global issues such as environmental degradation, meaning that states tend to use soft power in order to maintain stability and avoid conflict with other states as they all depend on eachother
the EU is a notable example of this; it is inconceivable for EU member states to use hard power against one another because they are so deeply connected and dependent on eachother due to the single market, so much so that the action of one state almost always impacts the others
in an increasingly globalised world, goals are better achieved and tension is better resolved through co-operation rather than conflict because states are increasingly intertwined in terms of culture, politics and the economy
a reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union was its dogmatic commitment to an ideology that could not compete with the attractions of capitalist materialism seen in the West – in other words, the unattractive nature of their culture led them to have little sustainable global influence
even Russia appreciates the value of soft power, especially since the election of Donald Trump, and is increasingly emphasising that European powers should see it as a fellow European power
Russia Today advances Russia’s positive image of itself
when President Obama expelled Russian diplomats from the United States in 2016 in response to claims that Russia had interfered in the American presidential election, Putin invited US diplomatic staff and the children to the Kremlin’s New Year’s Eve party
