The strength of a bloc is often judged on its combined membership, wealth, or military power. However, collective resources alone are not a guarantee of strength or cohesion.
Every member of a bloc has their own interests and domestic political pressures which may conflict with those of the wider group. Arduous decision-making rules, unequal burden-sharing, and doubts over whether membership continues to provide sufficient benefits can further deepen these tensions.
Analysts should therefore examine a bloc’s potential sources of division as closely as the factors that bind it together when assessing its strength as a unified actor. This article covers some of the main vulnerabilities that can weaken cohesion and reduce collective effectiveness.
