POTENTIAL NEW SOURCES OF POWER IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. CASE STUDY: COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND HEALTH RESOURCES
POTENTIAL NEW SOURCES OF POWER IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. CASE STUDY: COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND HEALTH RESOURCES

Author(s): Alexandra SARCINSCHI
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Sociology, International relations/trade, Studies in violence and power, Health and medicine and law, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: state; power; hard power; health resources; competition for health resources and medical supplies; vaccine nationalism; vaccine diplomacy;
Summary/Abstract: This paper argues that there is a potential new source of power, especially of hard power, that is specific to contemporary security environment characterized by the threat of COVID-19 pandemic. The starting premise is that the health system resources are a potential new source of hard power for a state actor to promote its foreign policy based on inducements or rewards. In terms of J. S. Nye Jr., health system resources might be used as a bribe or promise not for military or economic assistance (as specific to hard power), but for medical/humanitarian assistance. Therefore, the paper starts with a brief theoretical overview of the power concept and sources of power and continues with an analysis of the way in which a pandemic affects the international politics, especially the COVID-19 one.

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