polarity

what is polarity realist point of view

• realists see a global system global system of international anarchy, where states must rely on themselves for security and survival. where other states will look to take advantage of them and there is little reason to trust each other

• the fact that this does not lead to war is the balance of power the key factor which determines the balance of power and therefore the chance of peace is the number of poles in the system

unipolarity

• global system where there is one superpower for example USA currently

• this is a global hegemon it is a the best economic and military power and can shape the actions and desires of other states the stability of this system is up for debate though

strengths of unipolarity

• in hegemonic stability theory imbalanced power can produce peace as one side has so much power no one dares to attack it, this one state can act as a global police officer protecting political framework and prevents war and humanitarian crisis in the interests of all states and particularly the hegemon itself

critics of unipolarity

• they suggest that hegemons are always striving for more power

• at the same time they increase fear among other great powers that follow risky policy’s to correct the balance of power this leads to the hegemon increasing its power thus creating a spiral of fear that is hard to control the whole system is unstable

• also realists would say that it is bad for the balance of power as there can be no checks on the power of a hegemon