POLS 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Hegemony, Quasi

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 2200
• Professor: Janine Clark

Document Summary

The state system can be defined as relations between separate human groupings which occupy distinctive territories, are not under any higher authority or power, and enjoy and exercise a measure of independence from each other. An organization of independent states withi(cid:374) this (cid:862)o(cid:396)ga(cid:374)izatio(cid:374)(cid:863), states a(cid:396)e (cid:396)e(cid:272)og(cid:374)ized as mutually sovereign. International relations are the relations between such independent groupings. The balance of power refers to a condition of equilibrium among states. Many realists see it as key to (cid:862)pea(cid:272)e(cid:863). Why: balance of power is an equilibrium state. No state has more power than the other, or a (cid:271)ig state has a lot of po(cid:449)e(cid:396) a(cid:374)d s(cid:373)all states do(cid:374)(cid:859)t. Realists believe that the world of international relations is characterized by armed states that are competing rivals and periodically go to war with each other. A(cid:374) e(cid:395)uili(cid:271)(cid:396)iu(cid:373) of po(cid:449)e(cid:396) (cid:271)et(cid:449)ee(cid:374) states holds states (cid:858)i(cid:374) (cid:272)he(cid:272)k(cid:859) a(cid:374)d p(cid:396)e(cid:448)e(cid:374)ts (cid:449)a(cid:396) -- no states would be a clear winner from war.