Fundamental Concepts of International Politics

Spring 2013

Prof. H. Steven GreenToyo UniversityFaculty of Law

Lecture 7 Class 8May 30th 2013

I More Key ConceptsII Power

Vietnam vs. China in South China Sea

• China places oil rig in South China Sea• Vietnam says it controls the area, not China• China sends ships and aircraft • Vietnam sends ships• Vietnam claims Chinese ships used water

cannons and rammed Vietnamese ships

Vietnam vs. China in South China Sea

• In Vietnam people attack Chinese-owned businesses

Vietnam vs. China

Communist Party vs. Communist Party• The governments of both Vietnam and China

are controlled by Communist Parties ( 共産党 )

• They share the same belief about how the economy and the state should be organized

• They both believe capitalism causes war, not communism…(But they fought a war in 1979)

“States have no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”

Henry John Temple, Lord Palmerston, Great Britain(1784-1865)

Words are our friends

PART I

STATE, NATION, COUNTRYTHREE WORDS THAT HAVE THE SAME

BUT ALSO DIFFERENT MEANINGS!

英語の「 Country 」「 State 」「 Nation 」は日本語だと同じ「国」

の意味でも。。。

United Kingdom of Great Britain

Is Japan a state, nation or country?

China• 56 different ethnic groups• Different languages• Hong Kong

Is Taiwan a state, nation or country?

Malaysia

Are the members of the EU sovereign (i.e., independent) states?

KEY CONCEPTS

STATE, COUNTRY, NATION国家、国、ネーション＊

＊文脈によって、国民ないし民族などと訳される

KEY CONCEPTS

The field of IP does NOT have a specialized vocabulary ( 極端に専門的な用語はあまりない )

Advantage: Anyone can talk about world politics

Disadvantage: High risk of confusion

A state has territoriality and sovereignty.

1. Territoriality （領土権 ): • Control* of specific part of Earth (Remember: control = laws supported

by force)

What is a sovereign state (主権国家)?

2. Sovereignty: The right to govern a specific territory (with no higher authority above it)

What is a sovereign state (主権国家)?

Where is sovereignty located?

• Monarchy 君主国 : In the king or queen • Communist state 共産主義国 : In the

Communist party• Democracy: People (vote in free, competitive

elections for representatives ( 代表者 )

One Nation 300+ German states in 1789

Japan 1564-73: One nation, many states

In IP, state usually means country

• Alaska, California (USA), Chihuahua (Mexico) and New South Wales (Australia) are all states but they are NOT sovereign states

• Kanagawa, Chiba, Iwate are also kinds of states (but called “prefectures”)

• Japan, India, France, Algeria, etc. are all states AND we also call them countries

Another word for state is nation

This meaning is confusing because:• Nation also means a group of people with a

common language, culture, religion, history and identity

• Kurds, Navajo (Native Americans), Ainu, etc.

A Nation in different countries? Kurds

Nation-stateWhen almost all of the people of one state are

also part of the same nation• Japan and South Korea are nation-states• Many Kurds WANT their own nation-state• The United States is often called a nation, or a

nation-state but, actually, it is a state or country

REVIEW

In international politics:

• A state is a political unit with territoriality and sovereignty (i.e. a government that controls territory with no government above it.)

• A state is also called a country.

REVIEW

In international politics:• A nation is a group of people with common

language, culture, etc.

• A nation-state is a state where almost all people are from the same nation

REVIEW

LISTEN CAREFULLY when people talk about a state, a nation or a nation-state!

Often these words are used to mean the same thing.

The UNITED NATIONS…?

The United Nations should be called The United States or The United Countries!

International politics is really politics among different states!

PART II

POWER

Power

States are the most important actors in the international system because they have

the most power.

What are 4 reasons for the unique power of states?

The Power of States1. States control the flow of people,

money and goods* across borders.

* 人・金・物の国境を越えての移動　（人・金・物の流れ = flow of people, etc.)

The Power of States

2. States have armies.

The Power of States

3. States can tax and spend.*

* 税制と歳出

The Power of States4. States have no authority above them.

The Power of States

States are the most powerful actors in the international system, but:

• How do states use power?

• Is there one kind or many kinds of power? How do states use different kinds of power?

Let’s begin with the most basic, but also the most important, question…

WHAT IS POWER?

What is Power?

This question is harder to answer than it seems.

• Nye says power is like love-

• We know it when we experience it, but…

• It is difficult to explain.

POWER

POWER IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF

Power is a resource used to get others to do what you

want them to do.

Power はそれ自体が目的なのではありません。。

What is Power?We can use “sticks” (threats) or “carrots”

(rewards) to get others to do things we want.

We use both carrots and sticks, depending on the situation.

Power and University Life

In this class, is Mr. Green powerful?

Why or why not?

Write at least 2 reasons why Mr. Green is powerful and 2 reasons why Mr. Green

is NOT powerful in this class.

Three Kinds of Power

Next, we will talk about 3 “dimensions of power”

• Think of each dimension of power as a “face of power”

• We may say, “Power has 3 faces”• Three faces of the same thing: power

Dimension = face = kind

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness (Not in the textbook)

Forms of Power:

First Dimension:

Coercive Power

強制力

A has power over B if A can get B to do something B would not otherwise do. • Resource-based power: B does

not have resources to stop A

Power resources (Nye)

What are power resources?

States’ power

depends on how many

or how much of

these resources they have

• population

• territory

• natural resources

• size of economy

• military (size and technology)

• political stability ( 政治的安定 )

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness

Forms of Power:

First Dimension:

Coercive Power

Examples: A points a gun at B and says, “Give me your money or I’ll shoot you.”

Gulf War, 1990: US and UK push Iraq army out of Kuwait. (Military power)

Oil embargo* of 130 countries against South Africa, 1987. (Economic power)

*embargo = 禁輸措置

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness

Forms of Power:

Second Dimension

Agenda-Setting Power

政治日程を組む力

A has power over B if A can can decide what issues are on the agenda.* • Institution-design based power

* 議題に予定されている

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness

Forms of Power:

Second Dimension:

Agenda-Setting Power

Examples: I make the syllabus for this class; I decide what we will learn and how we will learn it.

Foreigners cannot vote, so what foreigners want is not part of domestic politics.

UNSC ( 国連安全保障理事会 ) has only 5 permanent members.

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness

Forms of Power:

Third Dimension:

Situated Social Power

A has power over B if A can influence or create what B wants indirectly. • Idea- or culture-based power:

What B thinks it wants is created by A.

John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness

Forms of Power:

Third Dimension

：Situated

Social Power

Examples:

You were raised in a family and society that cares about education. Also, education is necessary for many jobs.

In this class, you care about the things I talk about and you give me authority. ( 私に権限を与える）Europe and Japan admired American values after World War II.

Power and university life

Look at what you wrote about Mr. Green’s power in this class.

What dimensions of power can you find in each?

What is power?

As we have seen so far:• There are different kinds of power• Coercion is the most direct kind• Agenda-setting and Social-based power

are less direct

POWER RESOURCES (Nye)

To influence other states or other actors, states use different resources, including:• Population• Territory• Natural resources• Economic size• Military strength

POWER POTENTIAL (Nye)

How many power resources a state has is its power potential.

POWER CONVERSION (Nye)

Power conversion ( パワー変換 ) • When a state uses its power to change

others’ actions it has converted its power.

• Power potential is measured by power resources

• Power conversion is measured by a state making others change their actions.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK

TEST 1 BONUS POINT CHANCE

• Answer the questions in Part B again• You may talk to your classmates• You may look at your textbook• Each correct answer = 0.5pt.• Total possible bonus points = 5 points• 15 minutes

TEST 1Common Mistake 2

“I don’t want the Japanese to use realism because I don’t like war.”

• Realism is NOT war.• Realism does NOT support war.• Realism says the most important fact of IP is

the THREAT of war.