Discuss at least three elements of power and specific strate

Discuss at least three elements of power and specific strategies to maintain power and prevent disorder in international systems. What are the most pressing challenges in maintaining a status as a great power?

Solution

POWER is generally understood as the ability to get others individuals, groups, or nations to behave in ways that they would ordinarily try to avoid. Power capabilities are usually determined by economic strength, military strength, and political effectiveness.

ELEMENTS OF POWER :   Elements of power include a country’s geographic area and location, its population, and its natural resources. Other elements of power are intelligence capabilities, the quality of national leadership, the level of educational and technological achievement, the openness of the political system, the character of the people, transportation and communication capabilities, ideology, and the appeal of a country’s culture ,generally referred to as soft power.   

   Economic power is often seen as the foundation of military and political power. It is measured in terms of the gross national product (GNP) or the gross domestic product (GDP). The GNP measures the total market value of all goods and services produced by resources supplied by the residents and businesses of a particular country, regardless of where those residents and businesses are located. The GDP measures the total market value of all goods and services produced within a country. Military power is often the most visible and impressive manifestation of national power

   An important component of power is leadership. Leadership is the ability to persuade others to behave in certain ways, to shape their interests, and to influence their thinking. Leadership implies a capability to get others to cooperate to achieve particular objectives.

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO MAINTAIN POWER AND PREVENT DISORDER IN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS:

     Democratic enlargement is a prominent strategy in this effort. Potential challengers are restrained when they internalize the values, beliefs, and norms articulated by the dominant power. The United States, for example, has emphasized spreading democracy. But the dissemination of values and beliefs by great powers does not guarantee indefinite control, a reality that Britain had to face as India and other colonies demanded for themselves the rights enjoyed by people in Britain, including the right to self-government.

   Another strategy used to prevent rising powers from creating disorder in the international system is offshore balancing. Following Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, European powers created the Concert of Europe to maintain stability by preserving a relatively equal distribution of power among them. The main goal was to prevent one country from gaining so much power that it would dominate the others. Balancing which basically means opposing the stronger or more threatening side in a conflict can be achieved through efforts by individual states to strengthen themselves preserve the balance of power. Closely related to balancing is the strategy of containment, which attempts to prevent ambitious powers from expanding and destroying order and balance in the international system.

   The most pressing challenges in maintaining a status as a great power are,Economic challengers ,military challengers and Unconventional threats.