EPIK Journals Online Vol. 5 Iss. 03

Followership in International Relations: East Asia in the 21st Century

Author: Na Young Lee, Graduate School of International Relations; Seoul National University

Abstract:

Traditionally, international relations literature has been focused on analyzing behaviors of great powers, or ‘leaders’. Recently, more attention is given to small powers or secondary states especially in Asia but a systematic analysis on secondary states is yet to come. In this research, I borrow from Barbara Kellerman’s work on followership to answer the question how are follower states in the 21st century increasing their influence to overcome their material capabilities? I attempt to confirm Kellerman’s answer that followers boost their influence by ‘engaging’ in international relations. I devise two hypotheses to test the relationship between a follower state’s level of engagement and amount of influence on leaders. Four cases were tested (Japan, Russia, ASEAN and North Korea) with the two-factor model that calibrated independent variable; amount of hard power, and dependent variable; level of engagement. The findings of the research confirm the relationship between a follower state’s level of engagement and its amount of influence on leaders. It concludes that even states with little hard power can exert influence on the leaders by maintaining high level of engagement (ASEAN and North Korea). Also, states with large amount of hard power have less influence than their rank (hard power) would suggest if their level of engagement remains low (Japan and Russia). The findings of this research pose two implications. First, smaller states can use ‘engagement’ as a tool to increase their soft power and overcome their limited material capabilities. Second, as illustrated with the case of North Korea, states with high level of engagement should be monitored by fellow follower states since ill-determined influence can inflict negative impact on the international system as a whole.

Full Context: PDF [Full Statement]

EPIK Journals Online Vol. 5 Iss. 04  

Abstract:

This essay addresses the motivations and strategies of followers regarding military interventions led by the dominant state/hegemon in international politics. The concept of ‘followership’ can be described as largely understudied field in International Relations (IR). The present study aims to contribute to the nascent literature on followership by applying two concise case studies – the Polish and Turkish contributions to the U.S.-led military interventions in Iraq in 1991 and 2003, respectively. For the two cases, process-tracing reveals that international level factors related to fears of abandonment/entrapment can most convincingly explain the extent of followers’ contributions from the existing hypotheses on followership in military interventions. Moreover, as the Turkish case in the Iraq War suggests, when a military intervention contradicts national security goals, domestic politics might be used to justify reduced contributions for the hegemon.

Key Words: Followership in IR, U.S. military interventions, Poland, Turkey, Security, Iraq War, Gulf War

Full Context: PDF [Full Statement]