Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersWhat is power?
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 11 Flashcards — What is power?
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
What is power?
Answer
The ability to shape outcomes — to get others to do what you want. It is the master concept of global politics.
Question
What are the three forms of power?
Answer
Power to (the capacity to act), power over (making others comply) and power with (acting together).
Question
What is 'power to'?
Answer
The capacity to act and get things done — to build, invent or defend.
Question
What is 'power over'?
Answer
Getting others to do what they otherwise would not — by force, money or persuasion.
Question
What is 'power with'?
Answer
The strength that comes from acting together with others, such as in an alliance or movement.
Question
Why is power a 'relationship'?
Answer
It only counts when it shapes what actually happens between actors — an unusable resource is not really power.
Question
What is the difference between resources and outcomes?
Answer
Resources are what an actor owns (potential power); outcomes are what it achieves (power actually used).
Question
Why can a weaker actor beat a stronger one?
Answer
Because power is about outcomes, not resources — resolve, local knowledge or outlasting can win despite fewer resources.
Question
Why is power called the 'master concept'?
Answer
Because everything in global politics — sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence — routes back to power.
Question
What does the Vietnam/Afghanistan example show?
Answer
That overwhelming resources do not always deliver the outcome you want — the strong don't always win.
Question
How should you measure power?
Answer
By looking at resources (potential) and outcomes (what is actually achieved) together.
Read the notes
Full study notes for What is power?
Topic 1.3 hub
Power
More from Topic 1.3
All flashcards in this topic
Global Politics exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free