Power of the State: A Theoretical Approach

Power is a fundamental category in the field of political and security sciences. It occupies a key position in practically every theory of international relations. Some of the categories that describe power can be defined using similar terms, although there are also those that define similar categories in a completely different manner. This is what happens when you find similar definitions for terms such as ‘power, ‘strength’, ‘authority’, or ‘influence’. Identifying the factors that make up a state’s power is no less problematic. Even if some elements of power seem to be unchanged (military or economic factors) and important for all currents of the theory of international relations, the differences in their rank may be significant and crucial for understanding the differences between particular theoretical approaches. The aim of the article is to show both the fixed elements of individual theories (primarily realistic and liberal, but also radicalism and postmodernism) as well as the differences in defining the power of their individual representatives.