Middle power is a term used in the field of international relations to describe states that are not superpowers or great powers, but still have large or moderate influence and international recognition. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale There is no single specific definition of which countries are middle powers.

Contents 1 Definition 2 Middle Power Diplomacy 3 History of the term 4 Current Middle powers 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Definition

There is no standard agreed method to decide which states are middle powers. Some researchers use Gross National Product (GNP) statistics to draw lists of middle powers around the world. Economically, middle powers are generally those that are not considered too "big" or too "small", however that is defined. However, economics is not always considered the defining factor. Under the original sense of the term, a middle power was one that had some degree of influence globally, but not dominance over any one area. However, this usage is not universal, and some define middle power to include nations that can be regarded as regional powers. In International relations, a regional power is a State that has power within a geographic Region.

According to academics at the University of Leicester and University of Nottingham;

"middle power status is usually identified in one of two ways. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time The University of Nottingham is a Public, Co-educational institution of Higher learning in the city of Nottingham, England. The traditional and most common way is to aggregate critical physical and material criteria to rank states according to their relative capabilities. Because countries’ capabilities differ, they are categorized as superpowers (or great powers), middle powers or small powers. More recently, it is possible to discern a second method for identifying middle power status by focusing on behavioural attributes. This posits that middle powers can be distinguished from superpowers and smaller powers because of their foreign policy behaviour – middle powers carve out a niche for themselves by pursuing a narrow range and particular types of foreign policy interest. Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American Magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P In this way middle powers are countries that use their relative diplomatic skills in the service of international peace and stability. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Both measures are contested and controversial, though the traditional quantitative method has proved more problematic than the behavioural method. "^[1]

According to Eduard Jordaan of the University of Stellenbosch;

"All middle powers display foreign policy behaviour that stabilises and legitimises the global order, typically through multilateral and cooperative initiatives. Stellenbosch University ( Afrikaans: Universiteit Stellenbosch) is an internationally recognised University which is situated in the town of Stellenbosch Multilateralism is a term in International relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue However, emerging and traditional middle powers can be distinguished in terms of their mutually-influencing constitutive and behavioural differences. Constitutively, traditional middle powers are wealthy, stable, egalitarian, social democratic and not regionally influential. Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Behaviourally, they exhibit a weak and ambivalent regional orientation, constructing identities distinct from powerful states in their regions and offer appeasing concessions to pressures for global reform. Emerging middle powers by contrast are semi-peripheral, materially inegalitarian and recently democratised states that demonstrate much regional influence and self-association. Behaviourally, they opt for reformist and not radical global change, exhibit a strong regional orientation favouring regional integration but seek also to construct identities distinct from those of the weak states in their region. "^[2]

Middle power as an equivalent of the idea of Semi-periphery.

The notion of middle power can also be understood as equivalent to the idea of semi-peripherical countries. From the world-system's perspective, as posited by neo-marxist Immanuel Wallerstein, "World-systems analysis argues that capitalism, as a historical social system, has always integrated a variety of labor forms within a functioning division of labor (world-economy. Countries are part of the world-economy. Far from being separate societies or worlds, the world-economy manifests a tripartite division of labor with core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral zones" World-systems theory Although both notions -middle power and semi-peripheral zones may refer to the same type of countries, the idea of middle powers disregard power and domination as part of the country distinct status. World system approach is a Post-Marxist view of world affairs one of several historical and current applications of Marxism to International relations. Colombia would be seen at as a semi-peripherical country.

Middle Power Diplomacy

According to Laura Neak of the International Studies Association;

"Although there is some conceptual ambiguity surrounding the term middle power, middle powers are identified most often by their international behavior–called 'middle power diplomacy' - the tendency to pursue multilateral solutions to international problems, the tendency to embrace compromise positions in international disputes, and the tendency to embrace notions of ‘good international citizenship’ to guide. The International Studies Association (ISA was founded by a group of Scholars and practitioners in 1959 to pursue mutual interests in international studies . . diplomacy. Middle powers are states who commit their relative affluence, managerial skills, and international prestige to the preservation of the international order and peace. Middle powers help to maintain the international order through coalition-building, by serving as mediators and "go-betweens," and through international conflict management and resolution activities, such as UN peacekeeping. A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Middle powers perform these internationalist activities because of an idealistic imperative they associate with being a middle power. The imperative is that the middle powers have a moral responsibility and collective ability to protect the international order from those who would threaten it, including, at times, the great or principal powers. This imperative was particularly profound during the most intense periods of the Cold War. "^[3]

According to Tomoe Otsuki of the University of British Columbia; "Middle Power does not just mean a state’s size or military or economic power. The University of British Columbia ( UBC) is a Canadian public research University with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna Rather, 'middle power diplomacy' is defined by the issue area where a state invests its resources and knowledge. Middle Power States avoid a direct confrontation with great powers, but they see themselves as ‘moral actors’ and seek their own role in particular issue areas, such as human rights, environment, and arms regulations. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and Middle powers are the driving force in the process of transnational institutional-building. "^[4]

Characteristics of middle power diplomacy include :^[5]

• Commitment to multilateralism through global institutions and allying with other middle powers. Multilateralism is a term in International relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue
• High degree of civil society penetration in the country's foreign policy. Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning Society as opposed to the force-backed
• A country that reflects and forms its national identity through a 'novel foreign policy': Peacekeeping, Human Security, the ICC, and the Kyoto Protocol

In March 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd defined his country's foreign policy as one of "middle power diplomacy", along the lines of similar criteria. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort International holidays March 2 - Mothering Sunday (Britain March 7 - Nyepi (Indonesia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957 is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Australia and federal leader of the Centre-left Australian Labor Australia would "influence international decision-makers" on issues such as "global economic, security and environmental challenges". ^[6]

The Middle Powers Initiative (MPI), a program of the Global Security Institute, highlights the importance of middle powers diplomacy. The Middle Powers Initiative (MPI a program of the Global Security Institute, is dedicated to the worldwide reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons in a series of well-defined The Global Security Institute (GSI is a International organization with a mission to eliminate Nuclear weapons through international cooperation and security Through MPI, eight international non-governmental organizations are able to work primarily with middle power governments to encourage and educate the nuclear weapons states to take immediate practical steps that reduce nuclear dangers, and commence negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons. Middle power countries are particurly influential in issues related to arms control, being that they are politically and economically significant, internationally respected countries that have renounced the nuclear arms race, a standing that gives them significant political credibility.

History of the term

The concept of the ‘middle power’ dates back to the origins of the European state system. In the 15th century, the Mayor of Milan, Giovanni Botero, divided the world into three types of states – grandissime (empires), mezano (middle powers) and piccioli (small powers). Giovanni Botero (c 1544 - 1617 was an Italian thinker priest poet and diplomat best known for his 1589 work Della ragione di Stato (The Reason of State.

According to Botero, a mezano or middle power “has sufficient strength and authority to stand on its own without the need of help from others”. ^[7]

The term entered Canadian political discourse after the Second World War. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, for example called Canada "a power of the middle rank" and helped to lay out the classical definition of Canadian middle power diplomacy. Louis Stephen St-Laurent PC CC QC ( Saint-Laurent or St-Laurent in French, baptized Louis-Étienne When he was advocating for Canada's election to the United Nations Security Council, he said that while "the special nature of [Canada's] relationship to the United Kingdom and the United States complicates our responsibilities", Canada was not a "satellite" of either but would "continue to make our decisions objectively, in the light of our obligations to our own people and their interest in the welfare of the international community. "^[8] Canadian leaders believed Canada was a middle power because it was a junior partner in larger alliances (e. g. NATO, NORAD), was actively involved in resolving disputes outside its own region (e. The North Atlantic Treaty g. Suez Crisis), was not a former colonial power and therefore neutral in anti-colonial struggles, worked actively in the United Nations to represent the interests of smaller nations and to prevent the dominance of the superpowers (often being elected to the United Nations Security Council for such reasons), and because it was involved in humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts around the world. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

Current Middle powers

The following is a list of countries that have been called middle powers by academics or other experts.

Some academics believe that China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom are Great Powers not middle powers, due to their position on the UN Security Council, military expenditure and their nuclear stockpile. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale ^[9] Others also include Germany, and Japan due to their economic strengths and global influence. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[10] The overlap between the list of middle powers and Great Powers shows that there is no unanimous agreement among authorities. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale

•  Algeria^[11][12][13]
•  Argentina^{[14][15][16][17][18]}
•  Australia^{[14][19][20][21]}
•  Austria^[14][22]
•  Belgium^{[14][23][24][25][26]}
•  Brazil^{[14][27][21][28][29]}
•  Canada^{[14][30][31][32][33][34]}
•  Chile^[35][36][37]
•  China^[38][39]
•  Colombia^[40][41]
•  Czech Republic^[14][15]
•  Denmark^{[14][30][42][15]}
•  Egypt^[43][44]
•  Finland^[14][15]
•  France^[45]
•  Germany^{[46][47][48][49]}
•  Hungary^{[14][15][50][51]}
•  India^{[14][52][53][54]}
•  Indonesia^{[14][55][21][56]}
•  Iran^{[14][57][58][59]}
•  Italy^[14][60][15]
•  Japan^{[61][62][63][64]}
•  Malaysia^{[65][66][67][68]}
•  Mexico^{[14][69][70][21][71][72]}
•  Morocco^[14][73][15]
•  Netherlands^{[14][74][30][75][15]}
•  New Zealand^{[15][76][77][78]}
•  Nigeria^{[14][79][80][81]}
•  Norway^{[14][15][21][82]}
•  Pakistan^{[14][83][84][85]}
•  Poland^{[14][86][87][15]}
•  Romania^[14][21]
•  Russia^[88]
•  Saudi Arabia^[14][89]
•  Singapore^[90][91]
•  South Africa^{[14][92][93][94][21]}
•  South Korea^{[14][95][96][97]}
•  Spain^{[14][98][99][100][101]}
•  Sweden^{[14][102][103][21][15]}
•  Switzerland^[14][104]
•  Turkey^{[14][105][106][107]}
•  United Kingdom^[45]
•  Venezuela^[14][108]

See also

References

External links

• post.queensu.ca The Middle Power.
• books.google.com Weak States in the International System. By Michael I. Handel.
• www.cpsa-acsp.ca Middle Power Leadership on Human Security. By Ronald M. Behringer, Department of Political Science, University of Florida
• Middle Power. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2006-04-06. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus
• Middle Powers Initiative
• Government of Canada
• University of British Columbia
• South African Foreign Policy and Middle Power Leadership
• Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order
• Middle Power Internationalism (Book info)
• From Middle to Model Power: Recharging Canada's Role in the World (PDF)
• Canada in Transition Facing the Shift from Global Middle Power to Senior Regional Power (PDF)
• Emerging Powers: Governance in a Changing Global Order, a Queen’s Centre for International Relations annual report

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