Balance of power is a central concept of realist theories of international relations. Within a balance of power system, a state may choose to engage in either balancing or bandwagoning behavior. In a time of war, whether a state chooses correctly, to balance or to bandwagon, the decision may well determine the survival of the state. Realism is commonly defined as a concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary. ... International relations (IR), a branch of political science, is the study of foreign affairs of and relations among states within the international system, including the roles of inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... A state is an organized political community occupying a definite territory, having an organized government, and possessing internal and external sovereignty. ... In realist theories of international relations, balancing is a term for joining a weaker coalition to counter the influence or power of a stronger coalition. ... In realist theories of international relations, bandwagoning refers to the act of weaker states joining a stronger power or coalition within balance of power politics. ...

A doctrine of equilibrium

A balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. As a term in international law for a 'just equilibrium' between the members of the family of nations, it expresses the doctrine intended to prevent any one nation from becoming sufficiently strong so as to enable it to enforce its will upon the rest. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... // For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation). ... Doctrine, from Latin doctrina, (compare doctor), means a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. ...

The basic principle involved in a balancing of political power, as David Hume pointed out in his Essay on the Balance of Power, is as old as history, and was perfectly familiar to the ancients both as political theorists and as practical statesmen. In its essence it is no more than a precept of commonsense, born of experience and the instinct of self-preservation; for, as Polybius very clearly puts it (lib. i. cap. 83) A principle is something, usually a rule or norm, that is part of the basis for something else. ... Political power is a type of power held by a person or group in a society. ... David Hume David Hume (April 26, 1711 – August 25, 1776) (N.B. The birthdate is May 7 by the Gregorian reckoning of his time; this date being used by the International Humanist and Ethical Union when celebrating his birthday) was a Scottish philosopher and historian and, with Adam Smith and... The term statesman is a respectful term used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... For the American independence advocacy pamphlet by Thomas Paine, see Common Sense. ... This article discusses the general concept of experience. ... Instinct is the word used to describe inherent dispositions towards particular actions. ... Self preservation is part of an animals instinct which demands that the organism survives at all costs. ... Polybius (ca 203 BC - 120 BC) was a Greek historian of the Mediterranean world famous for his book called The Histories or The Rise of the Roman Empire, covering the period of 220 BC to 146 BC. // Personal experiences As the former tutor of the Scipio Africanus the Younger, the...

"Nor is such a principle to be despised, nor should so great a power be allowed to any one, as to make it impossible for you afterwards to dispute with him on equal terms, concerning your manifest rights."

As Professor L. Oppenheim (Internal. Law, i. 73) justly points out, an equilibrium between the various powers which form the family of nations is, in fact, essential to the very existence of any international law. In the absence of any central authority, the only sanction behind the code of rules established by custom or defined in treaties, known as 'international law', is the capacity of the powers to hold each other in check. If this system fails, nothing prevents any state sufficiently powerful from ignoring the law and acting solely according to its convenience and its interests. In the context of international relations and diplomacy, power (sometimes clarified as international power, national power, or state power) is the ability of one state to influence or control other states. ... For the 2002 science fiction movie see Equilibrium (2002 movie) Equilibrium or balance is any of a number of related phenomena in the natural and social sciences. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... CODE is a visual programming language and system for parallel programming, letting users compose sequential programs into parallel ones. ... Custom: a common practice among people, especially depending on country, culture, time and religion. ... A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... Critical legal studies Jurisprudence Law (principle) Legal research Letter versus Spirit List of legal abbreviations Legal code Pointless law Natural justice Natural law Philosophy of law Religious law External links Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Law Look up law in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Historical perspective

It was not, however, until the beginning of the 17th century, when the science of international law assumed the discipline of structure, in the hands of Grotius and his successors, that the theory of the balance of power was formulated as a fundamental principle of diplomacy. In accordance with this new discipline, the European states formed a sort of federal community, the fundamental condition of which was the preservation of a 'balance of power, i.e. such a disposition of things that no one state, or potentate, should be able absolutely to predominate and prescribe laws to the rest. And, since all were equally interested in this settlement, it was held to be the interest, the right, and the duty of every power to interfere, even by force of arms, when any of the conditions of this settlement were infringed upon, or assailed by, any other member of the community. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral or mental development in a particular direction. ... Hugo Grotius Hugo Grotius (Huig de Groot, or Hugo de Groot; Delft, 10th April 1583 - Rostock, 28th August 1645) worked as a jurist in the Dutch Republic and laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. ... Theory has a number of distinct meanings, depending on the context. ... The United Nations, with its headquarters in New York City, is the largest international diplomatic organization. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... A community is an amalgamation of living things that share an environment. ... A potentate (from the Latin potens, powerful) is an informal term for a person with potent, usually supreme, power. ... A right is the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled or a thing to which one has a just claim. ... // Ethics Duty is a term loosely applied to any action (or course of action) which is regarded as morally incumbent, apart from personal likes and dislikes or any external compulsion. ... In the context of international relations and diplomacy, power (sometimes clarified as international power, national power, or state power) is the ability of one state to influence or control other states. ... A community is an amalgamation of living things that share an environment. ...

This 'balance of power' principle, once formulated, became an axiom of political science. Fénelon, in his Instructions, impressed the axiom upon the young Louis, Duke of Burgundy. Frederick the Great, in his Anti-Machiavel, proclaimed the 'balance of power' principle to the world. In 1806, Friedrich von Gentz re-stated it with admirable clarity, in Fragments on the Balance of Power. The principle formed the basis of the coalitions against Louis XIV and Napoleon, and the occasion, or the excuse, for most of the wars which desolated Europe between the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the Congress of Vienna (1814). In epistemology, an axiom is a self-evident truth upon which other knowledge must rest, from which other knowledge is built up. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... François de Salignac de la Mothe, more commonly known as François Fénelon (1651 - 1715), was a French Roman Catholic theologian, poet and writer. ... Louis, duke of Burgundy (August 16, 1682 - February 18, 1712) was the son of Louis, the Grand Dauphin, and grandson of King Louis XIV of France. ... Frederick II of Prussia (January 24, 1712–August 17, 1786) was a king of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty, reigning from 1740–86. ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Friedrich von Gentz (1764-1832), German publicist and statesman, was born at Breslau on the 2nd of May 1764. ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Napoleon I of France, by Jacques-Louis David. ... The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster by Gerard Terborch (1648) Banquet of the Amsterdam Civic Guard in Celebration of the Peace of Münster by Bartholomeus van der Helst, 1648 Known also as the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, The Peace of Westphalia is the series... // Events Peace treaty signed at Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War. ... The Congress of Vienna was a conference between ambassadors from the major powers in Europe that was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and held in Vienna, Austria, from October 1, 1814, to June 9, 1815. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

During the greater part of the 19th century, the series of national upheavals which remodelled the map of Europe obscured the balance of power. Yet, it underlay all the efforts of diplomacy to stay, or to direct, the elemental forces let loose by the French Revolution. In the revolution's aftermath, with the restoration of comparative calm, the principle once more emerged as the operative motive for the various political alliances, of which the ostensible object was the preservation of peace. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Ethnic nationalism be merged into this article or section. ... The United Nations, with its headquarters in New York City, is the largest international diplomatic organization. ... During the French Revolution (1789–1799) democracy and republicanism overthrew the absolute monarchy in France, and the French portion of the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... For other meanings of motive see motive (algebraic geometry) and (alternate spelling of) motif (music). ... An alliance can be: an agreement between two parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests. ... The concept of peace ranks among the most controversial in our time. ...

Parliamentary politics

In parliamentary politics, balance of power usually refers to the position held by one political party, or a coalition of minor parties, whose support of a minority parliament, can give a major party enough votes to be able to form a stable government. This can be achieved either by the formation of a coalition government, or by voting with the party in power to prevent its defeat in a motion of no confidence. It is an expedient policy for most major countries in war time,but for minor countries it is better to choose a side as quickly as possible. An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calendar Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... A coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... For minority régime, see Apartheid. ... A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a cabinet in parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called a Motion of Non Confidence, is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ...

Federalism

In federations, the term "balance of power" is used in reference to which level of government is favoured in the division of power. In confederations (decentralised federations), it is more likely that the balance of power will be in favour of the sub-national level of government (that is, states or provinces). Canada is an example of such a federation. The Commonwealth of Australia is an example of a federation in which the balance of power has shifted in favour of the central (federal) government; although the states were constitutionally intended to be preponderant, the federal government has become dominant through various means. A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A state is an organized political community occupying a definite territory, having an organized government, and possessing internal and external sovereignty. ... This article is about political regions. ... The Australian states and territories comprise the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ...

See Also

• Majority
• Superpower
• Balance of Threat

A majority is a subset of a group that is more than half of the entire group. ... A superpower is a state with the ability to influence events and project power on a super scale. ... Balance of Threat theory was proposed by Stephen M. Walt in an article entitled “Alliance Formation and the Balance of Power” published in the journal International Security in 1985. ...

Reference

• Virginia.edu - 'Balance of Power', Dictionary of the History of Ideas