What Is A Great Power?

Due to their economic and political power, the United States are considered one of the world's great power states.

A Great Power is a sovereign state that has the power to impact the choices of different nations on a worldwide scale. Their impact stretches out to worldwide relations. Great powers are nations with naturally powerful militaries and economic viability to empower them to apply impact on a worldwide scale. They possess great diplomatic influence and soft power which can cause other countries to shift their decisions based on the great power’s stand on a particular issue.

Who Are The Great Powers?

There is no definitive rundown of great power countries.However, a few nations are generally thought to be definitive power holders, for example, the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom. Together with other members of the G7 nations, these are considered great powers due to their propelled economies which constitutes about 62% of the global net wealth.

Defining Great Power States

The term Great power is used by scholars to refer to countries that have a global scope of interests when it comes to the economy and military affairs. The term was first utilized as a part of the post-Napoleonic time in Europe to depict the real powers of the after-war bargains. Amid World War I and World War II, there was a sensational move in the worldwide powers, and the shift of power was always being tested. Today, China is setting itself up on the worldwide stage by gaining worldwide consideration as far as economic strength and political influence go. China’s international engagement extends beyond Asia Pacific block to Africa where its influence continues to grow rapidly. This is thanks to China’s excellent foreign policy on Africa since the 1990s on matters of politics, economy, and military.

Qualities of Great Powers

The characteristics of Great Powers are wide-ranging and empirical. There are no definitive set of characteristics to define a great power apart from one observed by the assessor. As a result, when deriving the characteristics of Great powers, only the common traits of economic strength, political stability, and military power are considered. The three main criteria for determining a great power are as follows.


Power remains extremely vital when considering a great power. A great power should be able to stand alone even when others are united against it. In today’s definition, a Great Power has to be recognized as a leader. This includes soft power in terms of cultural identity, moral strength, country’s philosophy and the level of technology in the country.

Spatial Measurement

A Great power should be able to command an area larger than its regional confines and have projected interests on a global scale. The superpower state ought to have the capacity to take part in additional provincial and regional issues.


To be considered powerful, a nation should be recognized formally and informally as a great power. This refers to the national image of the said country in terms of social systems, democracy, and participation in world peace among other factors. A great power is always seen and recognized by outside countries because of the numerous levels of participation in the international arena.


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