Unipolarity of international system : features and predictions of the end

Jaunųjų politologų almanachas nuo Nr. 3 pakeitė pavadinimą į Politikos mokslų almanachasŠiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama unipoliarinė tarptautinė sistema, vieninteliu sistemos poliumi pripažįstant Jungtines Amerikos Valstijas. Bandoma nustatyti šiuolaikinės unipoliarinės sistemos pobūdį, remiantis įvairiomis tarptautinių santykių teorijomis, išnagrinėti unipoliariškumo pasekmes. Straipsnio pabaigoje patei- kiami galimi unipoliarinės sistemos pabaigos variantaiThe beginning of XXI century was marked by few events that had influence on international relations in the whole world. Terror attacks in the United States of America in September 11, 2001, were the first such high a big range attacks against the USA. It had shown that the USA – the most powerful state of the world – is vulnerable to more danger, than nuclear weapons alone. After September 11 the USA started war against terrorism in Afghanistan, and many states supported it. However, in spring 2003 the USA unilaterally, without international support, decided to use military power in Iraq, arguing that Iraq possessed potential threat – weapons of mass destruction. Unilateralism, and military and technological differences between the USA and its allies have brought to light a presumption that in the international system there is a single pole, a superpower (hyperpower), the United States of America. The existence of one pole only can have different consequences on international system and international security. The aim of this article was to determine specific features of the unipolar world, influence of polarity of international system upon international security, and specific threats to security that emerge only in unipolar international systems. Another aim was to try to predict the end of the unipolar system: what could be the next poles and when could it come to the end. After analysing a number of articles concerning this topic, few conclusions were drawn. Contemporary international system is unipolar and the single pole is the USA; the USA is superior in military, economic, geopolitical, and political spheres at the same time. Increasing military power and unilateralism of the USA may be treated as a threat to international security. Great powers are trying to balance unipolar power, however, the creation of balance to unipolar power is complicated for several reasons.[...]Politikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakult.Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta