print

New World Order:
Parameters and Possible Contours

Lebedeva M.M.,

Professor, Head of World Politics Department, MGIMO University, mmlebedeva@gmail.com

elibrary_id: 250953 | ORCID: 0000-0003-4162-0807 | RESEARCHER_ID: C-2309-2013

DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2020.04.03

Rubric: Theme of the Issue: Gazing into the Contours of the Future World Order

For citation:

Lebedeva M.M. New World Order: Parameters and Possible Contours. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No. 4. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2020.04.03

Abstract

The article discusses approaches to understanding the world order. Most researchers, as well as practitioners, proceed from the fact that, in order to overcome the growing chaos of the modern world, it is necessary to form a new world order. The world order is usually understood as a configuration of the balance of power between the most powerful states. The article argues that understanding the world order through this prism does not meet modern realities. It is shown, instead, that the accepted organization of global politics (the Westphalian system, the system of interstate relations, the political systems of a number of states) is currently undergoing a general transformation, which is the essence of changing the world order. Another assumption a number of studies make is the non-distinction between the Westphalian system and the system of interstate (international) relations. The article demonstrates the importance of distinguishing between these two systems. On the one hand, the Westphalian system promotes a set of certain principles; on the other, international relations can be viewed as a configuration of the balance of interstate relations. The issue of a liberal world order is also being discussed. It is highlighted that a number of studies associate the liberal world order with the United States and, in general, with Western countries, but it is argued that such a statement is not entirely correct. The article shows that, although the West is significantly building up a modern liberal world order through many methods, the totality of a number of principles and institutions that make up this order is, nevertheless, generally accepted by the international community. The main features of the new world order are determined. It is noted that, at the present moment, there is a tendency to establish a polycentric world; however, such a world is led not just by its centers of power, but also by other states, as well as non-state actors. At the same time, a number of problems arise due to the interaction and decision-making of a large number of heterogeneous actors. Nevertheless, it is assumed that the new world order will be built on a multilateral and multilevel basis with extensive network communication. Scenarios for the formation of a new world order are discussed. 

Keywords

world order, world politics, Westphalian system, system of international (interstate) relations, political organization of the world, transformation of the political organization of the world, liberal world order.

 Full Text 

Bull H. 1977. The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics. New York, Chichester, WS: Palgrave. 329 p.

Cox R.W., with Sinclair T.J. 1996. Approaches to World Order. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 574 p. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511607905

Ferguson N. 2003. Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power. New York: Basic Books. 400 p.

Finnemore M. 1993. International Organizations as Teachers of Norms: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cutural Organization and Science Policy. – International Organization. Vol. 47. No. 4. P. 565-597. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300028101

Fukuyama F. 1999. Second Thoughts: the Last Man in a Bottle. – The National Interest. Summer. P. 16-33.

Governance without Government: Order and Change in World Politics. 1992. Ed. by J.N. Rosenau, E.-O. Czempiel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 324 p.

Guehenno J.-M. 1999. The Post-Cold War World: Globalization and the International System. – Journal of Democracy. Vol. 10. Nо. 1. P. 22-35.

Kortunov A. 2016. The Inevitable, Weird World. – Russia in Global Affairs. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 8-19.

Haas R.N. 2008. The Age of Nonpolarity. What Will Follow U.S. Dominance. – Foreign Affairs. May/June. URL: http://acme.highpoint.edu/~msetzler/IR/IRreadingsbank/EmpireOverNonpolarHauss.FA08.x.pdf (accessed 27.04.2020).

Hoffmann St. 1977. Foreword: Revisiting ‘The Anarchical Society’. – Bull H. The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. P. vii-xii. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24028-9

Huntington S.P. 1991. Democracy’s Third Wave. – The Journal of Democracy. Vol. 2. No. 2. P. 12-34.

Hurrell A. 2007. On Global Order. Power, Values, and the Constitution of International Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 364 p.

Ikenberry G.J. 2018. The End of Liberal International Order? – International Affairs. Vol. 94. No. 1.P. 7-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iix241

Mearsheimer J.J. 2018. Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities. New Haven, London: Yale University Press. 328 p.

Slaughter A.-M. 2004. A New World Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 368 p.

Wallerstein I. 2000. Globalization or the Age of Transition? A Long-Term View of the Trajectory of the World System. – International Sociology. Vol. 15. No. 2. P. 251-267.

Afontsev S. 2019. Sanctions and International Institutions: How to Reduce Sanction Risks for Russia? – International Organisations Research Journal. Vol. 14. No. 3. P. 46-68. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17323/1996-7845-2019-03-03

Baranovsky V.G. 2019. New International Order: Overcoming or Transforming the Existing Pattern? – World Economy and International Relations. Vol. 63. No. 5. P. 7-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2019-63-5-7-23

Kazarinova D. 2018. The Crisis of Liberalism in the Assessments of Its Adherents. – Russia in Global Affairs. Vol. 16. No. 6. P. 226-233. (In Russ.) URL: https://globalaffairs.ru/book/Krizis-liberalizma-votcenkakh-ego-adeptov-19862 (accessed 27.04.2020).

Kissinger H. 2015. World Order. (Russ. ed.: Kissinger H. Mirovoi poryadok. Moscow: AST. 544 p.)

Lebedeva M.M. 2016. System of Political Organization of the World: ‘Perfect Storm’. – MGIMO Review of International Relations. No. 2. P. 125-133 (In Russ.) URL: https://vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/518/518 (accessed 27.04.2020).

Lebedeva M.M. 2019. Modern Megatrends of World Politics. – World Economy and International Relations. Vol. 63. No. 9. P. 29-37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2019-63-9-29-37

Lebedeva M.M., Kuznetsov D.A. 2019. Transregional Integration as a New Phenomenon of World Politics: Nature and Prospects. – Polis. Political Studies. No. 5. P. 71-84. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2019.05.06

Lebedeva M.M., Kharkevich M.V., Zinovieva E.S., Koposova E.N. 2016. State Archaization: the Role of Information Technologies. – Polis. Political Studies. No. 6. P. 22-36. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.06.03

Nikitin A.I. 2018. Modern World Order, Its Crisis and Prospects. – Polis. Political Studies. No. 6. P. 32-46. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/pps/2018.06.03

Nye J.S. Jr. 2017. Will the Liberal World Order Survive? – Russia in Global Affairs. Vol. 15. No. 2. P. 72-82. (In Russ.) URL: https://globalaffairs.ru/number/utceleet-li-liberalnyi-miroporyadok-1865 (accessed 27.04.2020).

Pantin V.I., Lapkin V.V. 2018. Transforming of Political Spaces: Toward Polycentric World Order. – Polis. Political Studies. No. 6. P. 47-66. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2018.06.04

Schwab K. 2016. The Fourth Industrial Revolution. (Russ. ed.: Schwab K. Chetvertaya promyshlennaya revolyutsiya. Moscow: EKSMO. 208 p.)

Tsygankov A.P. 2019. Half-life: from World Order to World Transition. – Russia in Global Affairs. Vol. 17. No. 2. P. 20-31. (In Russ.) URL: https://globalaffairs.ru/number/Epokha-poluraspada-ot-miroporyadkak-miroperekhodu-20029 (accessed 27.04.2020).

Zinovieva E.S. 2018. Conceptualization of the International Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technology. – MGIMO Review of International Relations. No. 6. P. 242-254. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24833/2071-8160-2018-6-63-242-254 

See also: