The Concept of Power: A Theory of Adaptive Problem Solving

• In Event: Poster Session: Gender and Comparative and International Politics & International Relations Theory
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: International Relations Theory

Abstract

Why do seemingly powerful states fail to meet their stated objectives? This dissertation chapter develops a novel theory of power as adaptive problem solving in international relations. I argue that power is a state’s ability to adapt to tackle and or endure a problem and adapt accordingly. I also contend that this ability is undergirded by a naturally hardwired species-level impulse to solve problems, and is often overlooked in framings of human nature within the discipline. Ascertaining how this process of state problem solving takes place and might behave will be a central contribution of my work. Through my analysis, I propose that political orders exist to solve problems. I show that states that are able to solve their unique set of problems and are capable of adapting to changing circumstances have advantages over states that cannot, which is a manifestation of power. The more capable a polity is at solving existing problems, adapting to solve emergent problems, and enduring unsolvable problems, the fitter and perhaps more powerful it is in both absolute and relative terms. By observing how well a state's administrative capacity can cope over time with various challenges, its fitness and therefore power can be assessed. This work contributes a new understanding of how adaptation and flexibility are central to state power.

Author

• Meghan Iverson, University of Chicago