This interview with Professor Mark N. Katz explores one of the central debates in contemporary international relations: the transition from unipolarity to a more complex multipolar world. Drawing on historical cases and current geopolitical developments, the discussion examines whether multipolarity is truly the global norm, how great powers are defined, and what the post-Cold War “unipolar moment” tells us about today’s shifting balance of power.
The conversation also addresses the rise of emerging actors such as BRICS, the strategic behaviour of smaller states, and the evolving role of alliances, norms, and regional rivalries—from the Middle East to the Global South. Ultimately, it offers a nuanced assessment of whether a multipolar world necessarily produces a stable and coherent international order, and highlights key research questions shaping the future of global politics.
Mark N. Katz is Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, where he taught from 1988 until his retirement in 2024. A specialist in Russian foreign policy, great-power competition, and the international politics of the Middle East, his research has long focused on Soviet and Russian engagement with the developing world and revolutionary movements in international politics.
Publications:
American Foreign Policy: Can the U.S. Get Out of a Difficult Situation?
The Soviet Roots of Putin’s Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East
The Third World in Soviet Military Thought
The USSR and Marxist Revolutions in the Third World
Content
00:00 – Introduction
02:03 – Is Multipolarity the Historical Norm?
04:08 – The Liberal Order During the Cold War
04:53 – What Makes a Country a Great Power?
09:36 – Understanding the Unipolar Moment
12:19 – When Did Unipolarity End?
15:41 – 9/11, Terrorism and the Limits of Polarity Theory
21:51 – The Sino–Soviet Split and a Brief Tripolar World
25:26 – BRICS and the Rise of Multipolarity
27:25 – Multipolar World vs Multipolar Order
30:27 – Global South Views on Multipolarity
33:15 – How Small States Play Great Powers Against Each Other
38:00 – If China Dominates...
41:25 – Do Alliances Limit a Country’s Power Ambitions?
43:45 – Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel in a Multipolar Middle East
47:06 – What the Arab Spring Reveals About Multipolarity
50:49 – Do International Norms Still Matter?
53:12 – Key Research Questions on the Future of Multipolarity
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