Application Features of the Multipolarity Concept in Describing the Current State of the World Economy

Introduction. Multipolarity is a model of world order in which the international system of checks and balances prevents national governments from unilaterally redefining the political and territorial status quo or isolating individual countries from the global community. The purpose of the study is to reveal the content of the concept of multipolarity in the discourse of the world economy and to determine the impact of the multipolar environment of international relations on the traditional roles of geo-economic actors in the world economic system.

Materials and Methods. Publications in Russian and foreign periodicals, as well as specialized monographs and reports of international organizations, have been used as sources of information for the research. The concept of multipolarity has been examined in the context of two different approaches to its interpretation: as an inclusive model of the world order and as a revisionist trend in international politics. The paper reveals the prerequisites for the origins of these different interpretations, characterizes the geo-economic aspects of a multipolar world, and proposes methodological approaches for assessing the competitiveness of states and non-governmental actors in these conditions.

Results. One of the key reasons for the growing interest in the concept of multipolarity was the crisis of the multilateral decision-making system in international financial and economic institutions. The accompanying growth of state interference in international market relations has increased the level of uncertainty of real and financial sector companies in their foreign economic activities and compliance with restrictive measures. These processes have actualized the use of methods for analyzing the “influence” and “power” of actors of international relations in the economic context. However, for this purpose they need to be modified taking into account the network nature of interaction of geo-economic actors in the world economic system.

Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the work formed a theoretical basis for future research on the economic manifestations of multipolarity, foreign economic policy of countries, fragmentation of the world economy and financial system. Further modernization of the methodology of geo-economic analytics in the applied aspect, including the identification of channels for influencing the strengths and weaknesses of competing actors, taking into account their co-dependencies with other participants of the network, as well as for determining the boundaries of geo-economic blocks and channels of their conjugation, remains a relevant direction.