session 9 "a new dimension to politics" Kenneth waltz

Kenneth waltz in his write up gives us a new perspective regarding the power in structures. His main argument is that our  perception of people regarding their conduct in any organization is not just and we always associate the goodness and badness of conduct with the person in charge. However Kenneth Waltz argues that there is another perspective to it if we think rationally. Before holding any person or leader in charge responsible for his conduct we must go through a particular process of finding why he did that? What influenced or forced him to do that? After reading this great piece by waltz, we realize that structures have power and power of these structures can dictate actions. Nawaz shariff himself cannot do what he wants. it appears to all of us that the government is weak and less responsive, we never look why this actually happens to be. The government according to waltz is less responsive because prime minister has to maintain the unity in the party which he regards more than the interest of the people because it is the party members who have established the government and they need to be taken on board which causes delays ,disagreements and rebellions. The composition of the structure of party, parliament and ministerial cabinet is such that prime minister enjoys power given to him by the member parliament. So PM has to master the ability to lead which here can well be described as "art" .MP's can call of their support resulting taking all the powers he has. On the other hand we see that a person itself has no power but in the office and position it holds. For example, General Raheel Shariff is considered to be the most powerful man in Pakistan. Why do people say about him that way? Simple it is. Not considering in literal sense, the power given to him by the "status" has led people to think that way. If he gets retired, he certainly is not the strongest. He is just an ordinary person. Despite power in structures, another perspective to this proposed by "Foucault" is that power is in "discourse and discipline". If the prime minister is smart enough he can regulate his parliament the way he wants to get things done through "discourse and discipline". The example of Z.A Bhutto is explicit. He was able to convince his parliament to create the constitutions while it was kind of impossible job for the people who rules before him.

Waltz in his theory has opened new dimension of thinking for us which changed the paradigms of many. At least after reading this master piece one thinks through multiple perspectives before concluding over such delicate political and hierarchical issue and this is what a theory is meant to be.

                                                                              ~ UZAIR MUJEEB