International system is a structure that is present at the global level which regulates the function and exchanges of non-state and state actors, beside the Non-governmental Organization, multinational corporations, and international organizations (Stolberg, 2010). Nations make national and foreign security policy alongside this external framework of international system but prospects for both cooperation and difference arise inside this structure. The global society has attempted for many years to uphold order and avoid difference using global institutions such as the global legal regimes and United Nations (Stolberg, 2010).
As actors on the global level, both non-state and state players either try to work alongside other system’s elements or work alone, such associations are probably with other non-states or states players on a mutual basis.
This means that nations can choose to bond with existing coalitions so as to defend themselves against ordinary danger (Stolberg, 2010). Through combining resources and harmonizing activities the alliance members deem that they can develop their general place in the system plus their safety relative to nations that are none members. Other advantages to coalition membership may comprise the capability of offsetting the protection cost; unless the partner in the alliance is a liability, membership lets the nations to increase their military ability with their partners (Stolberg, 2010).
Nations may use coalitions or alliances to bandwagon or balance where both denote subconscious or conscious, decisions on the relationship with other members of the system. A nation for instance will also balance when it enters into a coalition to offset the influence of a powerful nation. Stabilizing in the global system may either be soft or hard action, it can be hard with the intention of increasing or threatening the utilization of military influence of one nation in relation to the other (Stolberg, 2010).
Conversely, soft action occurs when the weak nations want to stabilize a stronger nation but consider utilization of military influence to be infeasible. In such circumstances, nations use non-military aspects of influence to assist in neutralizing the stronger nations (Stolberg, 2010). Bandwagon varies from balance since it constantly denotes the weaker nation combining with stronger nation, coalition or alliance. It takes place when weaker nations determine cost of differing from stronger nation which surpass the advantages earned from maintaining it (Stolberg, 2010).
Reference
Stolberg, A. (2010). The international system in the 21st century. Web.