WORLD POLITICS – NOTES & SUMMARY
Prof. dr. Jonathan Holslag
Academic year 2020-2021
,2
, CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION
This class: mainly practicalities and course organization
Emphasis on reading! Stay on top of the news!
Overview:
- Introduction
- US
- China: clash between the titans
- Asia-Pacific
o Understand the trade war and its effect on relations
o Multilateral institutions
o Military build-up
- Debate: Asian perceptions
- The global south
- Regional powers
- MENA: panel discussion
- Conclusions
Portfolio: 30%
- Comparative book review: max. 700 words
- Two conference reports: max. 450 words each
INTRODUCTION: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT REVIEW
Security Environment Review, document prof. prepares for the Ministry of Defence
- Every two years
à Quite a good overview of the main challenges in world politics today
A lot of the suppositions we had some decades ago are no longer contested
- Western leadership is being attacked from many different directions
- The world is changing rapidly à “profound shift in the balance of power”
One of the crucial challenges of the Western world: we have sort of given up on the capacity to
critically assess where we stand and how the world around us is changing.
THE WESTERN WORLD IS EXITING THE GOLDEN AGE
Important starting point: the profound change in the balance of power
Golden age: characterized by predictability, self-confidence, prosperity, our values radiating into
world politics
3
, One of the most important manifestations of this change in world politics is the decisive shift in the
balance of power.
- The Western world is losing its preponderance
- Regional powers are harnessing their power and influence, often asymmetrically and are
nibbling into this traditional position of Western leadership
o Visible in the economic domain: dependency on external resources and gas supplies,
face masks, etc. in China, raw materials in the global south
à Regional powers are becoming much more assertive in the multilateral domain
- Reverse socialization: regional powers are building their own institutions and are “ganging up”
with developing countries against the minority of developed countries
à Fast regression of Western power
Also in the military domain: regional powers are developing a lethal and effective combination of
weapon systems that limit the freedom of action of Western powers
Restoration of democracy
- The fact that the West is losing its leadership essentially gives opportunities to other countries
- But we must ask ourselves whether this democratization will bring about a more stable and
just world order
à A lot of mistakes we blame on the US are now being made by other regional powers
Blatant unilateralism of the US is being manifested by
- E.g. Russia in Syria, Caucasus, Ukraine
- E.g. Saudi Arabia that started meddling into Yemen into pursuit of their influence and in
defence of their interests
à Democratization of world politics is not a guarantee for stability and a more benign world order
- Another downside is that the power shift is not just relative, so not just others becoming
more prosperous while West maintains its position
- We witness that the power shift coincides with growing social and economic distress in the
West (e.g. GFC in 2008, purchasing power is cut, unemployment soars, etc., U.S.: bottom 40%
of society has not seen a meaningful increase in purchasing power in 30 years)
A lot of the benign assumptions present in the 1990s have not been materialized and a lot of more
negative evolutions are becoming more pronounced
- Belief in the 90s that globalization would result in less conflicts and violence
o Not the case, number of armed conflicts has remained somewhat stable à lot of
hidden conflicts though
o They have become more diffuse but have not disappeared
o Territorial conflicts are also still very present (e.g. annexation of Crimea)
o Strategically located regions still matter
4
Prof. dr. Jonathan Holslag
Academic year 2020-2021
,2
, CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION
This class: mainly practicalities and course organization
Emphasis on reading! Stay on top of the news!
Overview:
- Introduction
- US
- China: clash between the titans
- Asia-Pacific
o Understand the trade war and its effect on relations
o Multilateral institutions
o Military build-up
- Debate: Asian perceptions
- The global south
- Regional powers
- MENA: panel discussion
- Conclusions
Portfolio: 30%
- Comparative book review: max. 700 words
- Two conference reports: max. 450 words each
INTRODUCTION: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT REVIEW
Security Environment Review, document prof. prepares for the Ministry of Defence
- Every two years
à Quite a good overview of the main challenges in world politics today
A lot of the suppositions we had some decades ago are no longer contested
- Western leadership is being attacked from many different directions
- The world is changing rapidly à “profound shift in the balance of power”
One of the crucial challenges of the Western world: we have sort of given up on the capacity to
critically assess where we stand and how the world around us is changing.
THE WESTERN WORLD IS EXITING THE GOLDEN AGE
Important starting point: the profound change in the balance of power
Golden age: characterized by predictability, self-confidence, prosperity, our values radiating into
world politics
3
, One of the most important manifestations of this change in world politics is the decisive shift in the
balance of power.
- The Western world is losing its preponderance
- Regional powers are harnessing their power and influence, often asymmetrically and are
nibbling into this traditional position of Western leadership
o Visible in the economic domain: dependency on external resources and gas supplies,
face masks, etc. in China, raw materials in the global south
à Regional powers are becoming much more assertive in the multilateral domain
- Reverse socialization: regional powers are building their own institutions and are “ganging up”
with developing countries against the minority of developed countries
à Fast regression of Western power
Also in the military domain: regional powers are developing a lethal and effective combination of
weapon systems that limit the freedom of action of Western powers
Restoration of democracy
- The fact that the West is losing its leadership essentially gives opportunities to other countries
- But we must ask ourselves whether this democratization will bring about a more stable and
just world order
à A lot of mistakes we blame on the US are now being made by other regional powers
Blatant unilateralism of the US is being manifested by
- E.g. Russia in Syria, Caucasus, Ukraine
- E.g. Saudi Arabia that started meddling into Yemen into pursuit of their influence and in
defence of their interests
à Democratization of world politics is not a guarantee for stability and a more benign world order
- Another downside is that the power shift is not just relative, so not just others becoming
more prosperous while West maintains its position
- We witness that the power shift coincides with growing social and economic distress in the
West (e.g. GFC in 2008, purchasing power is cut, unemployment soars, etc., U.S.: bottom 40%
of society has not seen a meaningful increase in purchasing power in 30 years)
A lot of the benign assumptions present in the 1990s have not been materialized and a lot of more
negative evolutions are becoming more pronounced
- Belief in the 90s that globalization would result in less conflicts and violence
o Not the case, number of armed conflicts has remained somewhat stable à lot of
hidden conflicts though
o They have become more diffuse but have not disappeared
o Territorial conflicts are also still very present (e.g. annexation of Crimea)
o Strategically located regions still matter
4
