Philippine politics

and governance
Group- Grade 11 Euclid
4
 WEEK 4:
NATURE,
DIMENSIONS AND
CONSEQUENCES OF
POWER
 Pre-test
Directions: Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of
the correct answer.

1. It may be explained in different ways because its meaning is

within the context of human relations.

A. Politics B. Power C. Responsibility D. Society

2. It is the combination of power and capability of a state which

the state uses for fulfilling its national interests and goals”
according to Padelford and Lincoln.

A. Local Power
B. National Power
C. International Power
D. Congressional Power
 Pre-test
3. The following are the dimensions of power,
EXCEPT:
A. Persuasion
C. Responsibility
B. Punishments
D. Rewards
4. The following are the dimensions of national
power, EXCEPT ONE:
A. Military Power
B. Economic Power
C. Psychological Power
D. Congressional Power
 Pre-test

5. Which statement is TRUE?

A. National Power is the currency of National
Relations.
B. It is both a Means as well as an End in National
Relations.
C. National Power is the ability to secure goals of
National Interest.
D. International Power is the basis as well as a
means of Foreign Policy.
What is power?

Power may be explained in

different ways because its meaning is
within the context of human relations.
We are encountered with many
different explanations in various
disciplines. Even within a single social
discipline, power is defined in several
different ways.
What is power?

According to Morgenthau Another definition is from

“Power is the power of Schwarzenberger who view
man on others” and as a power as “the capacity of one
“man’s to impose his will on others by
control over the minds reliance on effective sanctions
and actions of other in case of noncompliance.”
men.” Charles P. Schleicher defines
power as “the ability to
exercise such control as to
make others do what they
otherwise would not do by
rewarding or promising to
reward them, or by depriving
or threatening to deprive them
of something they value.”
 What is power?

“National Power is that

combination of power and
capability of a state which the state To Hartman, it denotes the ability of
uses for fulfilling its national a nation to fulfil national goals, how
interests and goals” according to much powerful or weak a particular
Padelford and nation in securing them.
Lincoln.

In Social Science and Politics, Power is

the ability to influence or outright
control the
behavior of people. It is authority when
the power is perceived as legitimate by
the social structure. Power may also be
seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise
of
power is accepted as reserved only to
humans as social beings.
 National power

National Power is simply the ability or capability

of a nation to secure the goals and
objectives of its national interests in relation with
other nations. It involves the capacity to use force or
threat of use of force or influence over others for
securing the goals of national interest. In this way, we
can define National Power as “the ability to control the
behavior of other states in accordance with one’s own
will.” National Power is the currency of international
relations.
 Nation

Nation in political science a union of a society

of inhabitants of the same country, speaking
the same language, coming from a common
racial ancestry, obeying the same laws and a
community of interests and sentiments
formed over the lapse of years.
 Nature of national power

National means pertaining to the nation making

national power the power of a nation. However, in
the context of national power the term‘nation’ does
not mean the same as in Political Science. In the
context of national powers, nation stands for the
power of the group of decision makers and
authorities who exercise power on behalf of the
nation. It is the power of the decision-makers who
formulate and implement the
foreign policy of the nation and thereby attempt to
secure national goals.
 Power

Power and force

Power and
influence
 Power and force

Force means physical force, violence in

the form of police action, imprisonment,
punishment or war. Power means a
psychological relationship of control which
is backed by the use of force, or threat of
use of force. When physical
force, war and other means involving the
use of military power or police power are
actually used to secure certain objectives,
power stands replaced by force.
 Power and influence

Both involve the ability to produce an

intended change or effect in the behavior
of others. However, the two are not the
same. Power involves a use of force or
threat of use of force. Political Power or
Legal Power is backed by authority
or sovereignty of the state.
THE MOST
EMPORTANT
FEATURES OF
NATIONAL POWER
IN POLITICS
A. Is both a Means as well as an End in
International Relations:
National Power is the means to control the behavior of other
states with a view to accomplish certain ends. It is recognized
as the currency with which a nation can secure the desired
values—peace, security, progress, development, status, and
more power. Nations use power to secure their interests in
international relations. This makes power a means in relations
among nations.
B.National Power is the Ability to Secure
Goals of National Interest:
National Power is the ability or capacity of a nation to
influence or change the
behavior of other nations with a view to secure the goals
of its national interest. It is
a relationship in which a powerful nation is in a position
to achieve its desired goals
of national interest in international relations. National
Power is measured in terms
of a nation’s ability to secure its goals and objectives in
international relations.
 c. National Power is Dynamic and
Relative in Character:
National power is always relative to time and resources. The
power of a nation has to be analyzed both through an analysis
of the capabilities and ability of the nation
as well as by a comparison of its national power with other
nations.
National Power has a non-stable, dynamic character and as
such it has to be continuously or at least periodically and
regularly evaluated for understanding the role of the nation in
international relations. National power is always dynamic. A
powerful nation can become less powerful or more powerful
in future.
This depends upon the changes in the power
potential of other nations as well as upon the various
components of national power. The power of a nation
is always relative to the powers of other nations,
particularly the power of its adversaries. In 1990, the
collapse of the USSR and decline in the Russian power
acted as a source of increase in the US power in
international relations.
D. No Two Nations Have Equal Power:

Further, it must be noted that no two nations have or can

have absolutely equal power. There can be only a rough
equality between two equally powerful super
powers or great powers or major powers. The power of a
nation is always more or less than the power of every
other nation.
e. There Are Several Elements of National
Power:

National power is often analyzed and evaluated in

terms of the capabilities of a nation which are
determined on the basis of several factors, like
Geography, Population, Industrial Capacity,
Diplomacy, Military Preparedness, Quality of
Leadership and Government etc. All these factors
have to be analyzed both quantitatively and
qualitatively for evaluating the national power of a
nation.
f. Actual Power and Potential Power:

Moreover, the attempt to analyze the power of a

nation must focus both on the analysis of actual
power as well as potential power of a nation. Actual
power is the power which is immediately available,
whereas potential power is the power that can be
generated in situations of crisis and times of need. It
refers to the crisismanagement ability as well as the
possible availability of power in the years to come.
g. National Power is the
Currency of International
Relations:

Each nation seeks to use its power for

securing its national interests in
international relations. It is this feature
which makes international relations
regarded as a process of struggle for
power.
h. National Power is the Basis as Well
as a Means of Foreign Policy:

National Power is the very basis of the foreign

policy of a nation, and foreign policy can be
effective in securing the goals of national interest
when there is adequate national power. The ability
of the statesmen and diplomats to act and react
with others is again determined by their respective
national power
DIMENSIONS OF
NATIONAL
POWER
The three forms of national power are
inseparable from each other. Without economic
power no nation can develop her military power,
and without the latter no nation can play an
active role in international relations.
Psychological power can be enduringly and
really effective only when it is backed by
economic and military power.

Some of the major dimensions of national

power in international politics are as follows:
a. Military Power:

Military power is an important dimension of national power.

It is regarded as absolutely essential for achieving the
objective of security of the nation. For every nation, security
is the most vital element of its national interest. It is the
primary concern of every nation to work for her security.

Military power is as such a vital part of national power. The

role and importance of a state in international relations
depends upon its military power. No state can get
recognition as a super power without being militarily
superior.
b. Economic Power:

Economic power is the second important dimension of

national power. It is constituted by the ability of a nation
to satisfy its own needs and to control the behavior of
other states by affording or denying access to economic
goods and services. The economic means of foreign
policy are today the most vital means which a state can
use for influencing the actions and behavior of other
states.
According to Palmer and Perkins, economic power is
inseparable from military power, for it is one of its basic
components, but even under conditions of modern
warfare, economic power and military power are not the
same.

Economic power is used by rich and developed nations

to influence other states by granting them economic aid
and loans, and try to secure their interests in
international relations. It is used as a means to induce as
well as to coerce a desired
change in the behavior of other states.
c. Psychological Power:
Psychological power means the power of opinion and
image of the nation. The role of propaganda and persuasive
negotiations in international relations have been used by
the states for securing an intended change in the behavior
of other states.The improvement in the means of
communications, increased influence of mass media, social
media and public opinion on foreign policy, the emergence
of open and conference diplomacy, the popularity of
alternative ideologies, the role of NGOs and social
movements, and the increased role of propaganda and
publicity in international relations, have all increased the
role of this dimension of National Power.
By the use of psychological and cultural
means a nation always tries to influence the
people and leaders of other nations. The
ability to influence others through
systematic publicity and educational and
cultural relations constitutes the
psychological part of the national power of a
nation.
THE
INTERDEPENDENCE
OF THE THREE
DIMENSIONS OF
NATIONAL POWER
The three forms of national power are inseparable.
Without economic power no nation can develop her
military power, and without the latter no nation can
play an active role in international relations.
Psychological power can be enduring and really
effective with economic and military power. Thus,
psychological power is a valuable and important part of
national power. The nature and scope National Power
of nation can be evaluated only by evaluating all these
three highly related and interdependent dimensions of
National Power.
METHODS OF
EXERCISING
NATIONAL POWER
a. Persuasion:
The art of persuasion consists in defining and logically
explaining a particular problem or issue or dispute to other
nations or any other nation. An attempt is made
to persuade other nations to adopt a particular and desired
view or perception of the nature of issues involved in any
bilateral or multilateral problem or dispute or issue.
Persuasion is widely used by diplomats and statesmen for
securing the desired and defined objectives of the foreign
policy. But success in persuasion can be achieved only when
it is supplemented by other methods and when it is
supported by a strong national power and effective foreign
policy.
b. Rewards:
The offering of rewards can be material or
economic or psychological. A nation can
give material help to another nation in times
of crisis or in other ways. The practice of giving
economic aid and easy loans or grants-in-aid is
another method of winning support and
inducing a change in the behavior of other
states.
c. Punishment:
A powerful nation can inflict punishment on an
offending or unhelpful state by imposing economic
sanctions or norms or policies or placing trade
restrictions or ensuring a denial of a possible reward.
Denial or reduction in foreign aid or loan or refusal to
export certain items or technology can be used by a
powerful nation for
inflicting a punishment or pressure on other nations.
Thus punishment can be used by a powerful nation for
exercising its power over other states. In actual practice
the powerful nations use threat of punishment as a
method and refrain from actual imposition of punishment.
The recourse to
punishment can cause a reaction and thus harm the
interest of the state resorting to punishment as a method
of exercising its power.

The most effective punishment is the one which secures

the desired objective of a state without the actual
infliction of punishment on other states. Threat of
punishment is a better method of exercise of national
power than its actual infliction.
d. Force or Physical Violence:

By the use of military power or

physical force, a powerful nation can
compel a desired behavior of
another nation. As a method of
exercising power, force is related to
punishment.
Activity 1: Know Thy Power
Directions: Given the following photos or images, please
identify which ones show or evoke power, and explain why?
Encircle Yes or No if the image evokes power or not,
respectively, and then explain why or why not.

Yes or No? Why or why not?

___________________________________________________
____________________________________
 Yes or No? Why or why not?
___________________________________
_____________________________

Yes or No? Why or why not?

__________________________
__________________________
 Yes or No? Why or why not?
_______________________________
_______________________________
__

Yes or No? Why or why not?

_______________________________
_______________________________
Activity 1: Define Me/Can you Define?
Directions: Give the meaning of the following words:

1.Power
_________________________________________________
____
2.Power and Influence
_________________________________________________
____
3.Military Power
_________________________________________________
____4.Economic Power
_________________________________________________
____5.Psychological Power
_________________________________________________
Reflection:
Directions: Reflect on the learning that you gained from
the lesson by answering the question.

Is there a difference between “power to” and “power

over”?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
__________
Post- Test

Direction: Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of

the correct answer.

1.The following are the forms of politics. Which DOES NOT

belong to the group?
A. Military Power
C. Economic Power
B. Scientific Power
D. Psychological Power
2. Among the following methods of exercising national
power, which DOES NOTbelong to the group?
A. Awards
C. Punishment
3. The following are the most important features of National Power in
Politics, EXCEPT:
A. Actual Power and Potential Power
B. No Two Nations Have Equal Power
C. National Power is Dynamic and Relative in Character
D. International Power is the Ability to Secure Goals of International
Interest

4. Which of the following statements best describe Economic Power?

A. It is the power of opinion and image of the nation.
B. It can be used by resorting to war or acts of reprisals by a
powerfulstate.
C. Is regarded as absolutely essential for achieving the objective
ofsecurity of the nation.
D. It is constituted by the ability of a nation to satisfy its own needsand
to control the behavior of other states by affording or denying access to
economic goods and services.
5. How will you describe Psychological Power?

A. It is the power of opinion and image of the nation.

B. It can be used by resorting to war or acts of reprisals
by a powerfulstate.
C. It is regarded as absolutely essential for achieving the
objective ofsecurity of the nation.
D. It is constituted by the ability of a nation to satisfy its
own needsand to control the behavior of other states by
affording or denying access to economic goods and
services.