Power is one of the central concepts in Global Politics. It can be understood as the ability to bring about change, but it can also be viewed as something that exists within relationships between people and groups. You will explore how power operates within social and political systems and how contested relationships between groups influence political outcomes . The course introduces several classifications of power, including:

The syllabus encourages you to use these classifications when analyzing real-world examples rather than simply listing or defining them. You should also consider the strengths, limitations, similarities, and connections between different approaches to power.

Key takeaway – Power is about more than who formally controls a government. You should examine who can influence decisions, what resources they possess, how they exercise power, and how relationships between actors affect political outcomes.

The Power in Global Politics topic develops the power concept in much greater depth. You will investigate different definitions and approaches to power and consider the work of thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, Antonio Gramsci, Eric Liu, Steven Lukes, John Mearsheimer, Walter Mignolo, Joseph Nye, Hanna Pitkin, and Yaqing Qin, for example. The prescribed classifications include:

You will then apply these classifications to real-world cases. For example, military intervention and economic sanctions can illustrate hard power, while cultural influence and economic aid can illustrate soft power. Alliances and collective civil movements can demonstrate relational power.

Key takeaway – The Power topic is about learning to identify different forms and sources of political influence and applying them critically to real-world situations.