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PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions · Model answer

“The notion of balance of power is notoriously full of confusion.” In the light of this quotation, do you think that the concept of balance of power is relevant?

  • UPSC 2016
  • 15 marks
  • Key Concepts in International Relations

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The line comes from Martin Wight's essay "The Balance of Power" in Diplomatic Investigations (1966), which judged that no statement of its "law" could command general acceptance. At its core the concept describes a distribution in which no state predominates and weaker states combine against a would-be hegemon. The confusion is real, but it can…

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What the full answer covers

  • Why the notion is confused
  • The case that it has lost relevance
  • The case that it has returned
  • Conclusion
PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions

PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions

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