Implications and Desirability of Different Types of Polarity (World Order)

Question 1

REALISM

How could the dominant power act as the ‘world’s police officer’ in a unipolar system?

Answer 1

REALISM

guarantee economic and financial stability by setting and maintain ground rules

Question 2

REALISM

Why do they favour bipolarity? Give an example of a bipolar system.

Answer 2

REALISM
it is stable and relatively peaceful
they tend to produce a balance of power, to prevent an emergence of hegemon
e.g. Cold War produced a bipolar system that was stable and relatively peaceful

Question 3

REALISM

Why do they claim that multipolarity systems fluidity and uncertainty leads to? Give an example of this.

Answer 3

REALISM
‘anarchical polarity’
this means it can only instability and an increased likelihood of war
e.g. world has become a more uncertain place with rise of China and re-emergence of Russia

Question 4

LIBERALISM

Why do liberals claim that bipolarity cause tension and insecurity? Give an example of this.

Answer 4

LIBERALISM
its tendency to breed hegemonic ambition and prioritise military power
e.g. led to an arms race that came near to producing a nuclear conflict in the Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 5

LIBERALISM

What do liberals believe unipolarity promotes? Give an example of this.

Answer 5

LIBERALISM
megalomania on part of dominant power

fear, resentment and hostility towards the dominant power

e.g. the USA’s invasion of Iraq was an act of megalomania that increased hostility to it n the Middle East and spawned new enemies such as Islamic State

Question 6

LIBERALISM

What do they believe multipolarity systems are characterised by? Give an example of this.

Answer 6

LIBERALISM
greater cooperation and integration (‘multilateralism’)

e.g. agreement of Paris Climate Change conference to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels shows how co-operation can increase in a multi-polar world