People who follow the news carefully (and not really) come to the same conclusion. In order not to panic, not to spoil your nerves, you must have your own ideas about events. And this is impossible if you have no idea what politics is. The world stage is actually not particularly big. It is enough to clearly represent the forces and interests of several players in order to understand what is happening and why. Let's deal with them.
What is it about?
World politics and international relations is a complex topic. It is impossible to tell about it in more or less detail
in a small article. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to indicate the main
principles and trends of what is happening on the world stage. And it is necessary to watch and listen not to everyone who decides to speak out on a particular topic. To begin with, it is worth deciding on the forces for which politics (world politics) is a field of play. There are several. Majoritypolitical scientists associate them with states. We will do the same so as not to get confused.
Here is a list of those countries for which world politics and international relations are a vital topic. What happens in this area can bring them either a rise in influence or complete destruction. We note right away that this list is not an axiom. Over time, new players appear on the arena, other options and circumstances arise. So: USA, China, Russia, European Union. For these countries, world politics is the sphere of responsibility and the application of maximum efforts. There are other players as well. Among them, nuclear powers can be distinguished (the one who has a baton deserves attention). Another aspect that must be taken into account when considering the world stage is the economy. Therefore, it is necessary to look at the heavyweights in this area.
Definition
The concept of world politics is multifaceted. Its nature stems from the interaction of many factors. First of all, as mentioned above, the confrontation and interaction of various forces are taken into account. Any (even the smallest) state has its own interests. It conducts trade, takes care of the safety of citizens, builds
conditions for their prosperity. It is currently impossible to do this independently. The world has become global, that is, the level of interaction between different countries, the penetration of cultures into each other has become irreversible. That is, the state, which has more influence, can regulate the processes of development of society in its own interests. Thus the politics of the worldis an endless process of struggle for power (in short). States constantly interact with each other, trying to create conditions for obtaining priorities in all areas of relations.
International politics
If we consider this process in a functional sense, then there are several themes that are taken into account by any national government entering the world stage.
Namely: strength, hegemony, balance and interdependence. The most important thing to consider is the possibility of war and peace. International politics
cannot be considered in isolation from its "source". That is, each country pursues its goals, based on national traditions and interests. Thus, in international politics, not only momentary goals that have developed under given conditions are taken into account, but also typical processes, traditional behavior emanating from historical contexts. In their work in this area, countries need to rely on the analysis of many factors, including an understanding of the nature of the emergence of wars, crises or alliances.
The structure of the world system
In historical retrospect, political global processes can be divided into certain stages. The first one is zero. It does not matter, because it does not affect the current state of affairs. Further, pre-modern, current, subsequent are distinguished. At the same time, global interaction is constantly intensifying. To regulate processes, the whole system must be provided with appropriate structures that ensureregulation of economic, social, cultural, political spheres. Naturally, these add-ons interact with each other, ensuring the consistency of their activities.
World System Goals
The described participants in the game together must meet certain criteria in order to at least minimally satisfy the needs of our time. There are four main functions. The first is the means of communication. The system needs to create conditions for the possibility of unimpeded exchange of information, its free transmission and processing. The second is the creation and integration of the necessary subsystems. Third - the criteria of fidelity. This means that the whole system must constantly correlate with the whole, taking into account the developed concept of utility. Fourth - systems of social values, including collective memory, self-knowledge, self-determination and awareness, the ability to interpret one's own experience.
About hegemony
US world policy is aimed at building a "unipolar world". This is a kind of system in which one of the countries (the States) plays a leading role. It is recognized by the international community as a criterion and at the same time a guarantor of mutually beneficial cooperation and development of mankind. The United States builds its activities to build such a world order on two "pillars". They are leaders in financial cooperation as well as in military cooperation. These two priorities can be used as a "stick" or "carrot" at will. Since the States have the largest in relation to othersstates share in the IMF, they influence its decisions on the allocation of loans. And the army is used to resolve (or create) crises.
Problems of world politics
The multidirectional vectors of goals of various associations and countries lead to conflict situations. One of the main threats at present is international terrorism. Global security is built by reducing risks of various levels. Its provision is possible only if all states cooperate. In the conditions of globalization, the unity of mankind is being built, based on sociological characteristics that have the same order. However, differences in living conditions in states lead to the emergence of radical trends, including terrorist ones.
The critical heterogeneity of the economic and cultural development of countries with a fairly wide information field creates conditions for the emergence and manifestation of discontent, the desire of individual groups to change the order of things. World politics is aimed at resolving these conflicts and eliminating their causes. Its goals are to create a safe, comfortable and convenient for the inhabitants of the "global world".
About Russia
Practically insoluble contradictions between the interests of countries lead to the threat of humanity sliding into another structural crisis. The point
is that the current world order no longer satisfies the needs of society. Every now and then they happen"failures" in the work of its organs and structures. Russia's world policy is aimed at resolving these contradictions. The State invites partners to think about the future of humanity, to build relationships in such a way as to take into account the needs (if possible) of all members of the community. In this work, it is necessary to pay attention to cultural characteristics, the development of economic and political structures, possible trends and historically developed features of countries. Balance in the world structure can be achieved through mutual respect of its members. Russia proposes to create unions and associations on an equal footing, abandoning the "hegemony" of one of the players. This position will contribute not only to the development of various states, but also to reduce the level of global risks.
Trends in the development of international relations
Political scientists believe that the history of human development can be roughly divided into five stages. Each of them ended in a crisis, which was timely, but not bloodlessly overcome. In the twenty-first century, humanity is faced with a new challenge. A military solution to this conflict in order to survive at least some part of the world's population, according to experts, is almost impossible. Too many weapons of mass destruction have been stockpiled. If only one nuclear charge is used, then the planet may simply die along with all the inhabitants.
That is, we can say that the international system is developing in a spiral manner, regularly bumping into a crisis. At the same time, the dynamics and sharpness of itsgrow exponentially, including all new dimensions. If the First World War was connected with the division of influence in Europe, now there are questions of ownership of all the world's resources. In addition, the global political system itself has slid into stagnation. It requires reformatting, the foundations of which have not yet been defined and developed. For example, the UN clearly no longer has the influence for which it was created. Other international organizations have lost both financial and political resources. The world is increasingly slipping into “fights without rules”. The entire system needs to be reformatted before the final war breaks out.
