The Role of International Systems - The Balance of Power During the Essay

The Role of International Systems - The Balance of Power During the Cold War - Essay Example In itself, the balance of power theory suggests that any rapid change in the international status or power of an independent state or collection of states will result in counterbalancing actions by other states. This occurs most readily when the alliances between different states are easily broken and formed based on what is beneficial to the particular state at the time. This essay argues that the balance of power was a key factor in the Cold War and was the driving factor of many of the events that occurred, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. Furthermore, this ultimately resulted in the development of the unipolar international system that is present today. The theory of the balance of power differs substantially between authors and publications and this section will attempt to determine some of the overall themes. Some authors consider that the model is a description of the international systems that are in place currently, others consider that it is a theory of coalitions, while still others consider it a guideline to peace2. In one sense, any international system is a balance of power relationship at some level. However, the term is usually used to refer to specific systems where the actors respond to each other primarily through negotiation rather than through war and where they each attempt to protect their state’s short-term and long-term interests3. Each country has their own internal resources and interests which they aim to maintain, as well as their position on the international stage, their relationship to other international powers and international trading relationships. States must balance their internal needs with needs of the international environment. Regardless of exact definition, the balance of power remains one of the most central theories of international systems and relations.

Supreme court case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supreme court case - Essay Example In 1954, Oliver L. Brown began the process of reversing this by challenging the Topeka Board of Education on its policy of segregated schools. He was angry because his daughter had to walk six blocks across, cross train tracks, then board a bus and ride for over a mile to get to her black school, while there was a white school only six blocks away. This seemed especially ridiculous because his daughter’s playmates were largely white and attended that school. Unlike many areas, Topeka worked very hard to ensure that its white and African American schools were largely equal – they had equal funding, facilities and staff, so it essentially came to question whether it was possible for two facilities to actually be equal if they were separate. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court said that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, and that the only way to ensure truly equal access to education was to have them not be segregated at all. This decision made it illegal to segregate schools based on race, and began a process of re-integration, which would eventually pave the road for many other improvements in race relations in