Impact turns + answers – bfhmrs russia War Good

Multipolarity Bad

Multipolarity Bad: Power Wars

Multipolarity is unstable- makes conflict more likely

Before returning to the multilateralism argument, it is first neces-sary to define the four structural variations of the international system. Of the three variations, bipolarity, meaning a structure dominated by two superpowers as seen during the Cold War, is considered to be the most stable. Mearsheimer bases this theory on three criteria: "First, the number of conflict dyads is fewer, leaving fewer possibilities for war. Second, deterrence is easier, because imbalances of power are fewer and more easily averted. Third, the prospects for deterrence are greater because miscalculations of relative power and opponents' resolve are fewer and less likely."24 Unipolarity, as the world has seen since the end of the Cold War with the United States as the dominant global power, is also seen as relatively stable. William Wohlforth argues, "unipolarity favors the absence of war among the great powers and comparatively low levels of competition for prestige or security for two reasons: the leading state's power advantage removes the problem of hegemonic rivalry from world politics, and it reduces the salience and stakes of balance-of-power politics among the major states."25 Multipolarity is considered to be the least stable of the three conditions. There is an incredibly high possibil-ity of conflict in multipolar systems because major power dyads are more numerous, each posing the potential for conflict. Conflict could also erupt across dyads involving major and minor powers. Dyads between minor powers could also lead to war...Wars in a multipolar world involving just minor powers or only one major power are not likely to be as devastating as a conflict between two major powers. However, local wars tend to widen and escalate. Hence there is always a chance that a small war will trigger a general conflict.26 Since 1945, the world has been both a bipolar system and a unipolar system, and is now on the verge of a multipolar system. The ongoing shift to multipolarity means that states, ranging from great powers to minor powers, are all in the process of altering their security and policy strategies as they seek to maximize their security in an increasingly uncertain international environment. States are more willing to use strategic options that previously may not have been as appealing to guar-antee their relative power position or to align with emerging spheres of influence. It is in this context that multilateralism becomes increasingly important for realist theory.