BRICS’ Pursuit of Multipolarity: Response in the United States (original) (raw)

REALITY OR MIRAGE?: BRICS AND THE MAKING OF MULTIPOLARITY IN THE GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Reality or Mirage?: BRICS and the Making of Multipolarity in the Global Political Economy

ARTICLE ABSTRACT The international system embarked on a process of transformation to a more heterogeneous configuration and debates of multipolarity acquired vibrancy in recent years. The formation of groupings such as the BRICS by emerging powers was interpreted as the harbinger of a novel global order. This study presents a nuanced account of recent global trends through a critical reading of the BRICS both as analytical category and an international actor. Thus, the heterogeneity of its members in terms of political regimes, economic strategies, geo-strategic alignments and national interest formations is emphasized. In contrast to premature 'power shift' arguments, a more subtle approach that underlines complex forms of interdependence between established and emerging global actors is proposed. Consequently, the BRICS is conceptualized as an 'international re-gime' operating relatively well in a specific field of international relations, nothing more. I n the first decade of the new millennium, the international system embarked on a grand process of transformation from the short-lived and unipolar post-Cold War regime to an unprecedented and heterogeneous configuration of international relations and a global political economy. This profound transition is perceived to stem from a multifaceted shift from Western political , economic, and cultural predominance to a more diverse and sophisticated system in which emerging/resurgent powers increasingly assert their respective interest formulations, distinctive values and worldviews. Therefore, in the developing international system, the complex diversification and asymmetric distribution of national/regional and public/private power assets arguably create obstacles to the unilateral temptations of all global powers, albeit with varying degrees. The wider redistribution of political and economic power elements , as well as deepening interdependence among the established and new actors, are the fundamental ingredients of the emerging global order which render issues of global governance increasingly vital. On the side of the global political economy, the main driving forces of the

Reality or Mirage?: BRICS and the Making of Multipolarity in the Global Political Economy

Insight Turkey , 2013

The international system embarked on a process of transformation to a more heterogeneous configuration and debates of multipolarity acquired vibrancy in recent years. The formation of groupings such as the BRICS by emerging powers was interpreted as the harbinger of a novel global order. This study presents a nuanced account of recent global trends through a critical reading of the BRICS both as analytical category and an international actor. Thus, the heterogeneity of its members in terms of political regimes, economic strategies, geo-strategic alignments and national interest formations is emphasized. In contrast to premature ‘power shift’ arguments, a more subtle approach that underlines complex forms of interdependence between established and emerging global actors is proposed. Consequently, the BRICS is conceptualized as an ‘international regime’ operating relatively well in a specific field of international relations, nothing more.

The BRICS in the Contemporary Global Order: Objectives, Capabilities, and Limitations

Otoritas: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan, 2019

For the first time in the history of mankind several powers emerge simultaneously in different latitudes and can interact intensively. The Contemporary Global Order has presented significant changes among which highlight the absolute and relative decline of American power, and the emergence of new actors who have greater agency power in their international relations. One of these actors is the so-called BRICS that brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. For this reason the aim of this investigation is to analyzing the effective and potential power of the BRICS in the Contemporary Global Order. The methodology is it is situated inside the analytical eclecticism which is characterized by explaining a certain phenomenon without using a block of explanations sustained in a single tradition, but it takes and re-means the elements that it considers most pertinent for the case study. The article states that the BRICS do not claim or have the capacity to become hegemons. The objectives and capabilities of the BRICS have been especially notable in terms of international political economy, especially in the financial architecture, where China has its greatest power. The BRICS can promote an alternative to the existing game rules in the international system and promote a more plural world. They have the capacity to reform and build international economic institutions that allow a fairer distribution of material resources. They can curb unilateral global power interventions in regional affairs, framing interventions for humanitarian causes within multilateralism and the Responsibility to Protect. In terms of democracy and human rights, they will not make any contribution since their main actors, such as China and Russia, are examples of disrespect for these values.

The Analysis of BRICS and the Diverse Role of BRICS Countries in International Politics

This article comparatively analyzes the rising and diversifying economic, industrial and political roles of the five key growing economy giants called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) that have been glorified with their remarkable economic growth, industrial development and political gravity in international relations for the last two decades. They are increasingly becoming the symbol of fast economic growth despite the 2008/09 financial crises, however, they are politically sharing less common identity and interest than more collective economic aspects. This article, from this perspective, examines the question of whether the BRICS or jointly BRICS countries have a common identity, interest and goal or not in international politics. To better figure out the reasoning of this topic, the article also finds out the correspondence of the following two subsidiary questions: First, in what aspects do the BRICS countries differ in terms of upholding their comparative political and industrial interests in world politics? Second, does the BRICS commit for a common economic identity and goal to mastermind the global economy for the future?

Rising brics: a Path to multipolar world reality?

2018

The discourse over change in the world order from a unipolar to multipolar has gained major attention in the recent times. While the United States upholds the pivotal power position in the international system it has experienced relative economic decline in the recent periods. The economic growth among the countries of the Global South has led to their emergence as a new power contender in the international system. The grouping of Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa (BRICS) has firmly developed an interregional set up trying to add a new constellation in the world order. It has emerged as a new region of their own with certain shared similarities and common objectives. The group aims to create a niche in international system by creating supplementary intuitions. Adopting reformist attitude, the group stresses on the creation of a multipolar world order demanding recognition to the rising powers of the twenty-first century. The countries are asserting for expansion of th...

Introduction: The BRICS in Global and Regional Governance

2016

Leaving aside their differences and the problem to categorize them as a group, there is little question that BRICS are increasingly seen as key actors in the international system (Mansfield 2014), thus there is an important space in the international political economy debate to analyse the meaning of the rise of these countries for their regions and the international system. Systematic studies of the role of the BRICS at the global and regional levels are still scarce, however the debate has been clearly divided in two camps. On one hand, a group considers the rise of BRICS as a challenge to the current US hegemonic driven order; leading to political and economic instability. On the other hand, another group considers that the US hegemonic power is still alive given that BRICS face important domestic challenges, need to build trust in their group and many of their members are reluctant to lead in global affairs (Donno and Rudra 2014). This book addresses some of these debates openin...

REFORMATION OF THE UNITED STATES' FOREIGN POLICY: THE OBAMA ERA AND RELATIONS WITH THE BRICS COUNTRIES

REFORMATION OF THE UNITED STATES’ FOREIGN POLICY: THE OBAMA ERA AND RELATIONS WITH THE BRICS COUNTRIES, 2021

The global order has shifted to a unipolar world order after the Cold War. The United States has implemented global policies as the dominant power in this order. However, with the start of the 21st century, the multipolar world order has clearly expressed itself. The new global order has led to interpretations that the US foreign policy is now losing its power. In addition, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, which are called the rising powers that will threaten the global hegemony of the United States, have emerged. Rising Powers has made many corporate initiatives, especially after the 2008 Financial Crisis. As the Obama administration emphasized, the 2008 financial crisis made mutual cooperation, negotiation understanding and institutionalization indispensable. In this context, Barack Obama, who determined the foreign policy maneuvers against the rising powers, adopted the concept of "soft power" different from Bush's "hard power". During his eight-year presidency, Obama shifted the United States' foreign policy focus from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region. In this context, the Obama presidency has determined new foreign policy parameters known as "smart power" against the three most important countries of the BRICS countries (Russia-India-China). In this study, the transformation process of the United States foreign policy in the Obama period and its approaches to the BRICS countries known as the rising powers will be explained. At the same time, the effectiveness (constructive or destructive) of Obama's concept of "soft power" in foreign policy will be discussed. This thesis emphasizes the view that the BRICS countries destroy the hegemonic and dominant power of the United States and that the BRICS countries will increase their influence and power on a global scale over time.