Question

Discuss the silent features of national power in 500words

Answer 1

Answer:

National Power is 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.

Answer 2

Explanation:

• National Power is 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.

Meaning of National Power:

• We can understand the meaning of National Power by first analyzing the meaning and nature of power:

What is Power?

• It is not easy to explain the meaning of ‘Power’, more particularly in 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 National Power?

• After having understood the meaning of power, it becomes quite easy to define National Power.

• 1. “National Power is that combination of power and capability of a state which the state uses for fulfilling its national interests and goals.” —Padelford and Lincoln

• 2. “National Power denotes the ability of a nation to fulfill national goals. It tells us as to how much powerful or weak a particular nation is in securing its national goals.” —Hartman

• 3. “National Power is the ability of a nation to influence the behaviour of others in accordance with its own ends. Unless a nation can do this, she may be large, she may be wealthy, she may even be great but she is not powerful.” —Organski In simple words, it can be said that National Power is 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 behaviour of other states in accordance with one’s own will.” National Power is the currency of international relations.

Nature of National Power:-

For understanding the nature of National Power let us know the meaning of the terms ‘National’ and ‘Power’:-

1. National:-

• In common usage the term ‘National’ means pertaining to the nation. As such national power means the power of a nation. However, in the context of national power the term ‘nation’ does not bear the same meaning as is the case in Political Science. Political Science defines nation as a group of population bound by a strong sense of nationality based upon common race, religion, motherland, language, history, culture, economic needs etc.

• In the context of national powers, the term nation stands for the power of the group of decision makers, statesmen and diplomats who exercises power on behalf of the nation. More specifically, 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.

2. Power:-

• For understanding the nature of power in the context of National Power, let us distinguish between Power and Force, Power and Influence, Force and Influence, and its several other features.

A. 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 is actually used to secure certain objectives, power stands replaced by force.

B. Power and Influence:-

• There exists a subtle difference between Power and Influence. Both are intimately related terms with similar variables and sources, and even in respect of the desired end. Both involve the ability to produce an intended change or effect in the behaviour 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

Main Features of National Power:

• 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.