When you read through Prime Minister Mark Carney’s notable Davos speech, he makes a number of references to the term “middle power.” This was no accident for sure.

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Government officials, commentators and journalists often refer to Canada as a middle power as if it’s supposed to mean something important. But it is really little more than a term of convenience – and a self-serving one for Canada.

Does the concept still have any meaning today? Does it denote a certain status, influence or position in the international hierarchy of states? More to the point, what makes Canada a so-called middle power?

At one time, the Canadian government – along with Canada’s emerging foreign policy establishment – could lay claim to Canada’s “privileged” status after the Second World War. It made some sense given Canada’s sizable military capacity (a large navy, army and air force) and a robust economy (especially when compared to a war-ravaged European continent). Occasionally, Canada’s then prime minister Mackenzie King would be allowed into the room to join the other principals: Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

The real prize for Canada was to have its voice heard on shaping the post-1945 world order – instead of being sidelined once again as it was........

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