PT121.S2.P1.Q5 > Analytics

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Social scientists have traditionally defined multipolar international systems as consisting of three or more nations, each of roughly equal military and economic strength. ███

Mulitpolar systems · Three or more nations of equal strength

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Characteristics of multipolar · Shifting, temporary alliances promote stability

Small confrontations prevent any one nation from dominating ("hegemony")

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Example of multipolar · Concert of Europe

100 years of peace under miltipolar regime

Bipolar systems · Only two nations of equal strength

Smaller nations ally with the big two

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Characteristics of bipolar · Frequent, large-scale conflict, one side wins in the end

No third power to balance out conflict and provide stability

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Examples of bipolar · Athens vs Sparta, USA vs USSR

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Author's criticism · A new view is needed

Based on political changes after Cold War, author calls into question the traditional view of multipolar and bipolar systems

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Premise · Multipolar system in present-day Europe threatens stability

Traditional view says multipolar systems should be stable; author gives counterexample of unstable multipolar system

Premise · Second example of multipolar system undermining stability

Author again counters traditional view of stable multipolar systems using historical example where Europe's multipolar system led to World War I and later World War II

Premise · Bipolar system improved stability

Historical example of bipolar system that promoted peace and stability. Author's main point becomes clearer: the traditional view is wrong because history shows that multipolar systems can cause instability and bipolar systems can cause stability.

Passage Style

Critique or debate

Which one of the following ██████████ ██████████ ███ ███████ ██ ██████ █████ ████████ ██ ███ █████ ██████████ ███ ████ ██████████ ██ ████████ ████ ███ ████████

Question Type

Implied

P1 describes the traditional view of multipolar systems: they promote stability through shifting alliances as members group together to counter threats. The Concert of Europe is cited as a successful example of a multipolar system, so we can infer that its members grouped together to counter threats, which promoted peace and stability.

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Anti-supported. We see here that the small confrontations that occurred under the Concert of Europe actually brought equilibrium to the system. But if such conflicts occurred under Europe’s multipolar system today, they would threaten the integrity of the system.

It provided the ███████ █████ ██ ████████ ████████ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ████ ██████████ ████████

Unsupported— too strong. The Concert of Europe coincided with 100 years of peace, but we don’t know that it provided the “highest level of security possible.” It’s possible that some other system could have brought even more stability and security.

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Anti-supported. We see here that the small confrontations that occurred under the Concert of Europe contributed to stability in the nineteenth century, but they would threaten European security today.

Equilibrium in the ██████ ███ ██████████ ██ ███████ ███████ ████████ ██ ██████████████ ██████ ████████

Supported. P1 describes the traditional view of multipolar systems: members group together to counter mutual threats, counterbalancing the system and promoting stability. The Concert of Europe is cited as a successful example of a multipolar system, and P3 confirms that small confrontations within the system are thought to have promoted equilibrium.

84%

It was more ██████ ████ ████ ██████████ ███████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███████ ███████ ████████ ██ ██████████ ██ ███ ██████ ████████

Unsupported. The Concert of Europe did promote stability, but we don’t know whether it was more stable than most multipolar systems or whether its members reacted to aggression especially promptly.

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