The international political system is constantly in a state of flux. To this end, power dynamics are rapidly changing in line with moves made by certain countries as well as emerging developments. The super powers are always closely monitoring developments, actions and decisions of each other with a view to respond appropriately. This ensures that each other is kept in check in what is described as balance of power.
A realist theory in
international politics, balance of power talks of the distribution of powers-
economic, political, military capabilities among sovereign states with a view
to maintain the global power dynamics. Balance of power is a very crucial part
of the international political system and has been the determining factor in
the interaction between and among nations.
Traced back to the 16th
century, the international relations theory aims at ensuring that no single states
build up so much military capability as to dominate other entities, especially
within a region, and beyond. In contemporary international politics lexicon,
balance of power is credited to Kenneth Warltz, an American Political
Scientist. Balance of power is ever evolving, shifting with changes in new
power capabilities, emergence of new actors as well new alliances.
Balance of power is
identified in three forms: multi-polarity; bipolarity; and unipolarity. In a
multipolar world, there are a couple of major powers existing at the same time.
Each of these super powers has considerable capabilities, resulting in
competition and in some occasions, conflicts. The present day international political system
can safely be described as a multipolar world with the United States of
America, Russian Federation and the Peoples Republic of China holding swear. Some
scholars add the United Kingdom and France to the list, in a subtle reference
to the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Bipolarity refers
to a condition where two major powers hold swear in the globe, putting each
other in check. This picture emerged during the cold war era when the USA and
then USSR where balancing power through arms race. The third is unipolarity or
hegemony. At the end of the cold war following the collapse of the USSR, the
USA appeared to be the most dominant state in the globe. This was a brief
period of unipolarity, a situation where one state is all powerful. In the
opinion of international relations scholars, this global structure is
constantly shifting according to prevailing circumstances.
It is instructive to
note that these super powers often engage in expansion of their sphere of
influence in a bid to maintain balance. Africa is usually their play ground. A cursory
look at the African landscape will show competition by the superpowers, while
some are losing influence, others are making critical inroads. The aim is to
ensure that one state does not build so much influence as to upset power
balance. This is usually achieved through diplomacy. It can also be through
military buildup; new alliances as well as economic cooperation. In general,
balance of power is extremely delicate and requires optimum caution in its application
for maintenance of equilibrium in the international political system.
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