Dynamics of state power potentials and prospects for a polycentric international system

Abstract

Attempts at giving state power potential a quantitative definition have been undertaken for several decades. Researchers often offer various basic indicators explaining further power dispersion in the contemporary world. However, many research papers either contain a mix of criteria taken from different levels of analysis or they inflate the significance of a given characteristic. Such an approach does not reflect the actual relationship between state power potentials. The present article offers an original vision related to indicators of economic and military potentials of the most powerful states in the world. The shifts in relationships between these indicators that have been recorded in the last several years show that any claims of a clearly formed polycentric world are premature. It also signals that the trend related to the gradual strengthening of power potentials of developing states is toward stagnation. Refs 28. Fig. 1. Tables 3.