Publication

In light of Fareed Zakaria's comment following the UK's May 2015 election that the country was 'resigning' as a world power, this article looks at what it means to be a world power today. The author doesn’t believe that being a great power is based on having superior capabilities over others. Rather, the rise of China and India — and the UK’s continued relevance — suggest that this particular status is first established through norms and institutions, which then serve as the foundations for acquiring economic and/or military might.