Examples Of Constructivism

Systemic change is when there is a change or shift of the dominant power/powers in an international system. It can be characterized by when hegemony moves from the main hegemonic power to another rising power, or to several other rising powers in the system. Challenges to hegemonic powers that would lead their powers to the hands of others include but are not limited to other powers becoming more economically and technologically advanced the costs of remaining a hegemonic power tend to grow more than the resources within the state, another state’s material power outweighs the hegemony and another state simply becomes more influential and more militarily capable than the hegemon. It can also be due to violent mechanisms, which is also known …show more content…
Such approaches include constructivism. Constructivism can be used to explain the systemic change due to the United States policy and practices becoming an international norm across the globe. Constructivism bases itself on the fact that states act based on the norms and meanings they give behind aspects of society and the international system. It argues that states will follow institutionalization, which is a process of developing new identities and sets of norms, which may either abide by an international norm or conflict/defect against it. Knowing the influence of the United States, it can be observed that the Soviets did not have the same legitimacy and had opposing norms to the United States. Given how many states seceded from the Soviets demonstrates that there was institutionalization in the process. The United States also used persuasion to get many soviet aligned states to adopt their norms. It can be seen as normative persuasion, which is when the state persuades it’s ideology and culture for other to accept them and apply them as norms in their country, to inherently have a fundamental shift in policy and government. Many states that were originally part of the Soviet Union had felt constrained under the communist system and may have opted to adopt the western/American norms in their cultures to seek freedom and further their power in the world. Given the United …show more content…
Some thought that with a potential election outcome of Hilary Clinton winning the United States presidency, another cold war could erupt or even a possible hegemonic nuclear war given that Russia would be willing to go into such a conflict. Many believed that hard power would be employed, given Vladimir Putin’s statements about the United States lying to Russia about their anti missile defense systems. Today, given the fact that Donald Trump won the presidential race and has close ties with Vladimir Putin, one can only question what is to happen next. Trump is firm on American exceptionalism and strength, and has vowed to “make America great again”, yet Vladimir Putin challenges the idea of United States hegemony. The next systemic change may very well result in the United States deciding to not sustain itself as a hegemonic power and allow for a bipolar system to arise. The United States still may take action in Russia’s rise if it is viewed as threatening to America’s overall power and another cold war may arise given the massive amount of nuclear weapons today. China is also still in the picture, challenging American hegemony as a rising power with an economy growing exceptionally. In today’s world, both, China and Russia can resort to leash-slipping: when a state builds its military to have the capability of conducting their own foreign policy,