Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

1999

Abstract

Population relativities play little part in the international system. A nation’s economic and military power is influenced by population size, but as one factor among many. Formal relations among states exclude population from consideration by the principle of sovereign equality. Three sources of possible change in this situation are explored, in which states would be “population-weighted” to a greater degree than before. Convergence of productivity levels around the world, expected by many, would bring the economic and population rankings of states more into line. Such convergence is occurring, but selectively and for the most part quite slowly. Anticipation of its effect, however, influences the international order well in advance. A second source of change is the necessity to allocate among states the use of global commons, particularly the atmosphere as a sink for greenhouse gases. Acceptable remedies for this and perhaps other global threats are likely to involve at least in part a per capita allocation. And third, population weights are implicitly more prominent in futures in which states are less important-envisaged in scenarios of global civil society.

DOI

10.31899/pgy6.1027

Language

English

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