What about the BRICS? : examining power politics in a changing world order

Abstract

The rise of the BRICS has been a significant event in world politics. The bloc represents more than half of the world’s population, has vast territories, has some of the largest economies, and possesses nuclear weapons. Its emergence poses a substantial challenge to the US-led liberal order. Has there been a shift in the world order? Have Western institutions, policies, and narratives been contested because of the BRICS? This paper aims to examine power relations in world politics and explore changes to the liberal order that emerged at the end of the Cold War. It also analyzes the BRICS as a group, its role in world politics and its potential as a counter-hegemonic power.