Examine Difference Between Multipolar and Unipolar World Order

Question 1

P1: Power Distribution Unipolar

Answer 1

1. Power distribution. A unipolar world is dominated by one hegemon with unrivalled economic, military and political power, enabling it to shape global rules with minimal opposition.
2. It can compel other states to act in its interests through overwhelming military superiority.
3. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States emerged as the sole superpower, using economic influence and vast defence spending to consolidate dominance.
4. At its peak, the US accounted for roughly 25% of global GDP and around 40% of global military spending.

Question 2

P1: Power Distribution Multipolar

Answer 2

1. Several states with significant power, leading to a state of
   global politics where no single state can dominate. They influence their respective regions and engage in complex rivalries and alliances.
2. The current world order is increasingly multipolar, with the rise of China and Russia challenging U.S dominance. Countries like Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia also pursuing their own interests using military action and economic support for proxies.

Question 3

P2: Stability v Conflict UP

Answer 3

1. Unipolarity promotes stability in the world order, as the hegemon can act as a global police
   force to enforce global norms. As they have military supremacy, they can deter other states from acting against their interests or challenging the international order.
2. In the 1990s and early 2000s, US led humanitarian interventions to maintain peace and serve American interests (Somalia and Kosovo).

Question 4

P2: Stability v Conflict M

Answer 4

1. More violent international order as the balance of power between multiple great powers often leads to competition, mistrust, and shifting alliances that can escalate into conflict.
2. States are more likely to take risks to increase their power and disputes are more likely to be resolved through confrontation than cooperation.
3. Early 20th century saw shifting alliances between Germany, Britain and Russia, contributing to the outbreak of WWI. Interwar period’s multipolarity failed to prevent Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Question 5

P3: Cooperation UP

Answer 5

1. The hegemon often has the structural power to lead collective action on pressing global challenges and compel states to sign up to international agreements.
2. Unipolar dominance of the United States in the 1990s, it led the
   Kyoto Protocol negotiations, compelling major economies to agree to legally binding
   commitments on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
3. The U.S.’s ability to leverage its economic & political influence as the sole superpower in
   global politics ensured broad participation in the agreement.

Question 6

P3: Cooperation MP

Answer 6

1. Makes global cooperation on issues such as climate change and
   nuclear arms reduction far more difficult. This is as states are competing for global influence
   and therefore unwilling to sacrifice their immediate economic interests to tackle a shared
   challenge.
2. Efforts to tackle climate change in the past decade have been hindered by disagreements between major polluters like China, India, and the U.S., with each prioritising their economic growth over environmental commitments.
3. Paris Agreement under Trump and the fact that China
   continues to build new coal power stations in 2024.