# The Changing World Order - Mark N. Katz | Ep. 5 (2026)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ir-thinker-6691770/the-changing-world-order-mark-n-katz-ep-5-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ir-thinker-6691770/the-changing-world-order-mark-n-katz-ep-5-2026.md
Podcast: [The IR thinker](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ir-thinker-6691770)
Published: 2026-03-24T16:19:41+00:00
Episode link: https://www.irthinker.com/changing-world-order-mark-n-katz
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/655776911a7d7e0012cbc914/e/69c2b99d034bb238fb0234f2/media.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-ir-thinker-6691770/episodes/the-changing-world-order-mark-n-katz-ep-5-2026
Duration seconds: 3503

## Resource

This interview with Professor Mark N. Katz explores one of the central debates in contemporary international relations: the transition from unipolarity to a more complex multipolar world. Drawing on historical cases and current geopolitical developments, the discussion examines whether multipolarity is truly the global norm, how great powers are defined, and what the post-Cold War “unipolar moment” tells us about today’s shifting balance of power. The conversation also addresses the rise of emerging actors such as BRICS, the strategic behaviour of smaller states, and the evolving role of alliances, norms, and regional rivalries—from the Middle East to the Global South. Ultimately, it offers a nuanced assessment of whether a multipolar world necessarily produces a stable and coherent international order, and highlights key research questions shaping the future of global politics. Mark N. Katz Mark N. Katz is Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, where he taught from 1988 until his retirement in 2024. A specialist in Russian foreign policy, great-power competition, and the international politics of the Middle East, his research has long focused on Soviet and Russian engagement with the developing world and revolutionary movements in international politics.  Publications: Personal Blog American Foreign Policy: Can the U.S. Get Out of a Difficult Situation? The Multipolar World Is Nothing New: Why the Return of Many Powers Does Not Mean the Birth of a New Order The Soviet Roots of Putin’s Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East The Third World in Soviet Military Thought The USSR and Marxist Revolutions in the Third World Content 00:00 – Introduction 02:03 – Is Multipolarity the Historical Norm?…

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## Transcript

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