How Do You Define The Meaning Of National Power?

In a layman's language it is easy to describe one nation as more powerful than the other but is indeed difficult to specify as to what that power consists of. For example everyone knows that U.S.A. is more powerful than India. But what is that makes U.S.A. more powerful? Obviously it is sum total of power which a country possesses in comparison to the other.

The concept of power is quite complex and it is not easy to provide a commonly acceptable definition. It shall, therefore, be desirable to discuss some definitions of power to reach an acceptable conclusion. Prof. Morgenthau defines political power as "a psychological relation between those who exercise it and those over whom it is exercised. It gives the former control over certain actions of the latter through the influence which the former exerts over the latter's mind." He further states that the struggle for power is unusual in time and space and is an undeniable fact of experience. 'Whatever the ultimate aim of international politics, power is always the immediate aim.' According to Schwarzenberger the power is the capacity to impose one's will on others by reliance on effective sanctions in case of non-compliance.' In the words of Charles P. Schleicher 'power is the ability to exercise such control to make others do what they otherwise would not do by rewarding or promising to reward them, or by depriving or threatening to deprive them of something they value.