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Global · Politics & Governance

What are the levers of global power in order?

Global power ranked: industry first, institutions hold only as strong states allow

Summary

Industrial capacity outranks money, military reach and institutional control as the chief lever of global power, with China's manufacturing lead challenging the US-centred order and sanctions showing clear limits.

What it argues

  1. Ranking the levers of powerPolitics

    Productive and industrial capacity ranks first among five levers of global power. Money and markets, military reach, institutional gatekeeping and state capital follow in that order. Material power funds and outranks the other levers, including institutional rules.

  2. China's rise challenges US orderPolitics

    China's manufacturing lead is called the main challenge to the US-centred order. A SAIIA paper describes that order itself as an expression of American power. Industrial strength, not institutional standing, is reshaping the global order.

  3. Institutions follow the strongestPolitics

    Gatekeeping of global institutions, including the veto and control of funding, ranks fourth. Institutional rules are said to hold only as far as the strongest states allow. Rules-based institutions are constrained by, not a check on, the most powerful states.

  4. Reforming institutional checksPolitics

    Limiting the veto is proposed as a way to restore institutions as a check on power. Fixing UN funding so no single contributor can hold it hostage is also proposed. The proposed remedy targets institutional rules rather than material power itself.

  5. Money and markets secondEconomics

    Control of money and markets ranks second among the five levers. This covers the reserve currency, sanctions and trade access. Financial control is the leading non-material lever of global power.

  6. Limits of sanctionsEconomics

    Sanctions are said to push targeted states toward each other, showing financial coercion has limits. Middle powers such as South Africa face sanctions pressure because they engage all sides. Financial coercion can backfire and falls hardest on states that stay non-aligned.

  7. Building independent capacityEconomics

    Weaker states are said to be able to loosen others' hold by building their own industry and skills. Developing independent payment and trade channels is proposed as part of this. The proposed remedy for weaker states is domestic capacity, not institutional reform alone.

Key points

  • Industrial and productive capacity is the top-ranked lever of global power, funding the rest.
  • Control of money, markets, the reserve currency and sanctions ranks second but has limits.
  • China's manufacturing lead challenges a US-centred order itself described as an expression of American power.
  • Institutional rules, including the veto, hold only as far as the strongest states allow.
  • Weaker states are urged to build domestic industry and payment channels, and to reform veto and funding rules.

Sources

What are the levers of global power in order? — Coherence Academy