Kryachkov 2!indd

180
Д. А. Крячков
UNIT VI
8. The United States does act as an international sheriff, self-appointed perhaps but widely wel-
comed nevertheless, trying to enforce some peace and justice in what Americans see as a 
lawless world where outlaws need to be deterred or destroyed, and often through the muzzle 
of a gun.
9. In fact, from the saloonkeeper’s point of view, the sheriff trying to impose order by force can 
sometimes be more threatening than the outlaws who, at least for the time being, may just 
want a drink.
Ex. 16. Explain and expand on what the following concepts mean.
soft power 
power politics/machtpolitik 
preemptive use of force
hard 
power 
coercive 
diplomacy 
just 
war
multilateralism 
humanitarian 
intervention 
R2P
Ex. 17. Discuss your answers to these questions. Use the active vocabulary and the 
phrases from ex. 13 and 14. 
A. Power 
a. How important is the concept of ‘power’ in the study of world politics today? Why? What 
other concepts are equally/more important? 
b. How can power capabilities and power relations between states be estimated? 
Study the list of ‘indices of power’. Which of them are mentioned in Reading 1? How does 
each of the indices contribute to the actual status of a country in the world? Or can the 
question of a country’s position in the world be reduced to Mao Zedong’s observation that 
‘All power grows out of the barrel of a gun’? Rank these indicators in order of importance. 
Explain your choice.
a state’s total population;
patriotism of a state’s population;
a state’s military spending;
a state’s level of technology;
a state’s political culture;
educational level of a state’s population;
a state’s level of urbanization;
a state’s armed forces;
a state’s level of agricultural productivity;
a state’s territory;
a state’s geographical position;
a state’s industrial capability
1
. 
c. How does a country’s status affect its foreign policy?
1
B. Use of force in international relations
The international community has been overburdened by crisis situations which call for 
peace-making, peace-keeping, nation-building and humanitarian assistance. In many 
cases the use of force or the threat to use force has been the preferred tool.
a. When does diplomacy turn to force? Does the use of force signify the failure of diplo-
macy? 
b. What does ‘the use of force’ involve? How is the proper balance between diplomacy and 
force determined? 
c. What does the UN Charter say about the use of force?
d. What are the possible consequences of the use and ‘misuse’ of force?
1 
a states’ industrial capability= gross national product + energy consumption + iron and steel production.

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