Elements of National Power

National power is the sum total of all resources available to a nation in the pursuit of

national objectives. According to Morgenthau “all politics, domestic and international, reveal

three basic patterns, that is, all political phenomenon can be reduced to one of three basic

types. A political policy seeks either to keep power, to increase power, or to demonstrate

power.”

Power has always been a central concept in the study of international relations. It has

been defined in many ways. Power is construed as the “ability of an international actor to use

its tangible and intangible resources and assets in such a way as to influence the outcomes of

events in the international system in the direction of improving its own satisfaction with the

system” (Rosen and Jones). This definition points to relationship between power and influence.

Power has its limitations and is subject to growth and decline (rise and fall of great

powers). Alvin Toffler views power as being manifested in three ways: violence, wealth and

knowledge. Violence is manifested in coercion and punishment; wealth in financial incentives,

sanctions etc, knowledge in terms of ideas, innovation and intellectual and technological

advancement.

In the context of international relations Morgenthau believes that “power is always the

immediate aim” but it is a means to that end as well. Most scholars focus on power as a means,

the strength and capacity that provides the “ability to influence behavior of other actors in

accordance with one’s objectives.” However national power is contextual, in that it can be

evaluated only in terms of all the power elements and only in relation to another player or

players and the situation in which power is being exercised.

Power has multidimensional inter-relationship. National power I historically linked with

military capacity-a result of natural relationship since war in the international arena is the

ultima ratio of power. Nevertheless one element of power alone cannot determine national

power. The other two aspects of national power are: relations and dynamics. National power is

relative and absolute that is in relation to another actor or actors. It is dynamic and is not

permanent (eg rapid changes in military technology). OPEC’s control over supply of oil, coupled

with its effectiveness as cartel, caused a dramatic shift in power relations in 1973.

The Elements of National Power: Can be divided into two categories: Natural determinants

such as geography; resources and population (number of people and physical environment);

and Social determinants such as economic; political; military; psychological and informational.

These concern the ways in which the people of a nation organize themselves and the manner in

which they alter their environment.

A)  Natural Determinants:

1.  Geography: Geographical factors, whether they are location and climate or size and

topography, influence a nation’s outlook and capacity. Location in particular is tied

 

to the foreign policy of a state. (Britain has protected it: led to developing large navy

and overseas trade). It has given rise to the study of geopolitics. Location is also

closely tied to climate, which in turn has significant effect on national power. Russia

for example has cold climate. Hitler’s forces were defeated after they attacked

Russia. Hostile climate could not be weathered by the forces. 

2.  Population: Demographics in the form of size, trends, and structure are important

aspects of national power. A large population is a pre-requisite but not an automatic

guarantee of strength. In the future, global trends also will affect the structure and

balance of national populations. 

3.  Natural Resources: Large amounts of natural resources are essential for a modern

state to wage war, to operate an industrial base, and to reward other international

actors through trade and aid, either in modern industrial products or in the raw

materials themselves. 

B)  Social Determinants: 

1.  Economic: economic capacity and development are key links to both natural and

social determinants of power. In terms of natural resources, a nation may be well-

endowed but lacks the ability to convert those resources into military hardware,

high technology exports, and other