The effect of power capacity on the structure of the international system: The United States of America, the people's Republic of China, and The Russian Federation

The first of the aims of this study is to determine the inputs of the power capacity function, which is required to be a pole-state in the international system within the framework of the neo-realist paradigm. The second aim is to try to reveal the structure of the international system in terms of polarity in the post-Cold War Era within the framework of power capacity. In line with these purposes, concepts such as the international system, the structure of the international system, the state, power capacity, balance of power, polarity, alliance, and systemic change are examined theoretically and conceptually within the framework of the neo-realist paradigm. In addition, the independent variables of military capacity, economic capacity, and geopolitical capacity, which are the derivatives of power capacity and thought to have an effect on the structure of the international system, were compared with the sub-derivative variables that constitute them over the three sample countries, the United States, China, and Russia. In this context, two different scientific research methods were used to achieve the aims of the study. One of them is the secondary analysis method, which is a quantitative research method, while the other is the comparison method, which is a qualitative research method. Through the secondary data analysis, the statistical data obtained by different international institutions in various fields about the three sample states were reprocessed in accordance with the purpose of the thesis, and the new data obtained were analyzed over three sample countries by comparison method. As a result of examining the independent variables on three sample countries, it can be said that all three sample countries can perform their self-defense in terms of geopolitical capacity. Besides, in terms of military capacity, which is another variable, it can be thought that the United States and Russia are in a more advantageous situation than China in respect of both nuclear and conventional weapons. As the last variable, in the matter of economic capacity, while the United States and China are two big economic giants, it can be seen that Russia has an economy dependent on the sale of natural resources, especially energy resources, and the arms industry. When all data are evaluated together, it might be observed that although the United States was a larger country in terms of power capacity compared to other sample countries in the first half of the post-Cold War Era, its economic capacity lost power, especially as a result of wars and operations on a global scale. For this reason, it might be said that the polarity feature of the international system has evolved towards a multicentric structure since the second half of the post-Cold War Period. However, with the course of the war that started between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, it might be said that the transformation to a United States-centered unipolar system structure began with the start of the movement of the states that were allies of the United States during the Cold War, especially the European States, as a bloc.