Unit Outline
This unit focuses on the dynamics of power and how it is manifested and legitimised at various levels. The roles of state and non-state actors are examined, their interactions in global politics are discussed and their success in achieving their aims and objectives is evaluated.
1. What is the nature of power?
|
Power is an essential core concept of Global Politics. At the heart of all political issues lies questions about power and how power is distributed. This topic serves as an introduction to this concept, exploring the theories about how power operates at all levels of analysis.
|
2. How has state power evolved?
|
States are the basic building blocks of the current international system and have existed in their current form for centuries. Any study of Global Politics needs to consider how states are seen as legitimate actors, and how they wield their sovereign power.
|
|
3. Can other groups influence the power of the state?
|
In Global Politics, it is important to study non-state actors alongside states as these organisations can often be more effective at initiating global change. They provide ways for communities to influence the actions of states, often in ways contrary to the aims of states.
|
4. Can global interactions improve the world?
|
For the past few centuries, the world has rapidly become a more interconnected place. The process of globalisation has confronted states with new problems and challenges that call for greater cooperation and interdependence. This unit examines these processes.
|
|
