Session 11 - "Constant Vigilance!"

The Realist notion of the “Balance of Power” between states interacting in an international system has occupied a critical position while theorizing in the realm of International relations. While some theorists have argued that the concept of balance of power is vital to understanding modern history, others have disregarded the idea as irrelevant to the world order. In “The Balance of Power: Prescription, Concept, or Propaganda?” Ernst B. Haas attempts to unpack the meaning of the term in order to differentiate between the “verbal” and “applied” significance of the perception of balance of power within the international system. 

Previously within the sphere of IR theory, the concept of balance of power has had two major purposes: It has been used to describe the distribution of power within the arena of international politics, and has acted as a guide to policy making. Haas presents eight different manifestations of how theorists have used the notion in order to further their own ideas. Haas suggests that balance of power may be used to describe situations where the states under consideration may either be in a condition of equilibrium – where the power of the states literally balances out – or there exists a system of hegemony in the world order, where states are constantly in the quest for superiority over others. However, the term has most commonly been used to simply depict the distribution of power amongst states in the international system, regardless of the concentration of this power. In addition, balance of power has also been used to imply a situation of “Stability” and “Peace” and conversely, “Instability” and “War” in the international system. While some theorists have argued that the balance of power is synonymous to an ideal system of harmony, others believe that “the struggle for the balance of power, in effect, is the struggle for power”.  Furthermore, Haas also considers the concept of balance of power as tantamount to the use of force, uninhibited by “moral considerations” in order to ensure security and survival within a competitive world order.

The conception of the balance of power as implying a “Universal Law of History” assumes that inherently, states are geared towards accumulating greater power and hence dominating in the international system, and there exists an “equally natural resistance” to such attempts to expand power. Therefore, Haas suggests that within the international order, states arrive at a situation where entities “seeking aggrandizement” and those opposing it will balance each other out. While the aforementioned notion of balance of power allows for an element of unplanned behavior in the world system, however, taking the concept as a system of organization to cater to policy making, Haas believes that a degree of consciousness is thrust into international politics. The balance of power in international politics guides states on how to protect their interests from the expansionary policies that may be pursued by other states. If states adhere to these prescriptions provided by the balance of power, a “system” will emerge in which states may align themselves against an aggressor, in order to maintain the balance of power. Therefore, states must always remain vigilant so as to maintain order in the international system.

Haas provides an extensive literature review of theorists adhering to the realist school of thought. Therefore, it is not surprising that the concept of ‘power’ within the presented framework is limited to the scope of military might, security and the constant threat of aggression from other states. Although Haas has attempted to address several explanations of the balance of power, often his arguments were lost in the references he made to the work of other scholars. In fact, it seemed as if he did not have much to say about the matter and was hiding behind the work of others. Although this wasn’t a particularly impressive read, however, Haas must be commended for recognizing the fact that although “balance of power” is often used in IR theory, no notable attempts have been made to explain what the term actually entails.