What Kind of World Order?: The International System in the New Millennium
Author(s)
Sorensen, Goergg
Abstract
What kind of world order is now emerging? There are several different suggestions in the debate and the present article is a modest attempt to cut through the confusion. Any comprehensive analysis of order must address four major aspects or dimensions of the phenomenon: (a) the realist concern of the politico-military balance of war; (b) the liberal concern of the make-up of international institutions and the emergence of global governance; (c) the constructivist concern of the realm of ideas and ideology, with a focus on the existence or otherwise of common values on a global scale; and (d) the IPE (International Political Economy) concern of the economic realm of production, finance and distribution. On the basis of this analysis, I define the current order as an interregnum; a new, stable order has not been established but significant elements of the old order remain in place. The consequences of this situation are discussed briefly.
