Welcome to Lesson Two. Most countries in the world are small. In this lesson we consider how small states keep their independence when larger powers compete around them.
Watch the lesson above. What is said in it is written out below, for reading and revision.
Small states are easily overlooked, but they matter. Each has a vote in the General Assembly of the United Nations, many sit beside vital sea routes, and their friendship is valuable to larger powers.
That gives them rather more room for manoeuvre than one might suppose.
Scholars describe three broad choices. Balancing means leaning against the stronger power, often with the help of others. Bandwagoning means siding with it.
And hedging means keeping good relations with everyone while committing fully to no one. A great many small states today choose to hedge.
Consider Nepal, which lies between India and China and depends on both. Its leaders have long tried to keep good relations with each neighbour without becoming dependent on either.
The Maldives sits astride busy shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, and has worked with both India and China.
Singapore, for its part, keeps close ties with the United States and with China at the same time. Each is an excellent case for a commentary.
When you study a small state, ask three questions. What does each larger partner offer: trade, aid, or security? What does it ask in return? And what would happen if relations with one of them suddenly changed?
Before the next lesson, choose one small state, perhaps your own country, and note its two most important partners, and why. In Lesson Three you will begin gathering sources for your own piece.