Superpower

A superpower is a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale. There is no universally accepted definition or formal criteria for superpower status, and therefore no universally accepted list of entities that qualify as superpowers. Generally it is accepted that superpower status is achieved through the combined means of economic, military, technological, political, and cultural strength as well as diplomatic and soft power influence. Traditionally, superpowers are preeminent among the great powers. While a great power state is capable of exerting its influence globally, superpowers are states so influential that no significant action can be taken by the global community without first considering the positions of the superpowers on the issue. Quotes Scholars generally agree on which state is the foremost or unique superpower—for instance, the United Kingdom during the Victorian era and the United States during and immediately after World War II—but often disagree on the criteria that distinguish a superpower from other major powers and, accordingly, on which other states if any should be called superpowers. Munro André superpower https://www.britannica.com/topic/superpower Encyclopedia Britannica 2 May 2023 A superpower is a state that cannot be ignored on the world stage and without whose cooperation no world problem can be solved. Munro André superpower https://www.britannica.com/topic/superpower Encyclopedia Britannica 2 May 2023 Some say that unipolarity endures, that China will not become a “superpower” capable of overtaking the United States, or that Chinese power has peaked. By contrast, some see China as a peer competitor and the United States’ “pacing challenge.” Still others view the world as multipolar, pointing to Indian economic growth, Russian resurgence, and the emergence of other influential middle powers. Lind Jennifer Back to Bipolarity: How China's Rise Transformed the Balance of Power International Security 49 2 October 1, 2024 0162-2889 10.1162/isec_a_00494 7–55 https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article/49/2/7/125214/Back-to-Bipolarity-How-China-s-Rise-Transformed February 26, 2026 Definitions of superpower abound in international relations writings and while there is no formal mechanism for becoming a superpower, it is possible to extract a few typical elements of superpower-dom. First, 'the essential criterion for superpowerhood has always been might, actual together with potential.' Superpowers are foremost a historical concentration of political power. Second, a key factor is military might, especially nuclear capabilities. The capacity of the US and the USSR to annihilate a large proportion of civilized life in nuclear strikes—including a crucial second-strike capability—was an important factor for their superpower status. Until recently, one could almost have considered a large-sized nuclear arsenal, including world-wide delivery systems, a conditio per quam in this respect. Third, superpowers require a certain geographical size—the two (former) holders of this title are countries on a continental scale—or at least a large economy with an output large enough to uphold sustained power projection. Kammerhofer Jörg Superpowers and Great Powers https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e996 Oxford Public International Law 3 August 2026 The concept of a superpower has different definitions. Binh Le Hai Superpower Responsibility, China, the South China Sea and the COVID-19 Pandemic International Journal of China Studies 2021 12 1 https://jrmg.um.edu.my/index.php/IJCS/article/view/36672/14515 3 August 2026 Even extensive statistics are not enough to define the rise to the status of a superpower. Binh Le Hai Superpower Responsibility, China, the South China Sea and the COVID-19 Pandemic International Journal of China Studies 2021 12 1 https://jrmg.um.edu.my/index.php/IJCS/article/view/36672/14515 3 August 2026 External links Category:International relations Category:Politics Category:International relations