power politics
Might makes right
Power politics is the pursuit of national or group interests through coercion, threats, or displays of strength rather than diplomacy or moral persuasion.
The term implies that raw power—military, economic, or political—ultimately determines outcomes in international relations: The treaty collapsed when power politics trumped idealism.
Often used critically to describe cynical or amoral statecraft.
- realpolitikPolitics prioritizing practicality over ethics
- statecraftArt of government
- big stickIntimidating show of strength
- zero-sum gameCompetition where gains equal losses
- national interestNation's collective welfare priorities
diplomacy · hegemony · world stage · proxy wars · puppet state · superpower rivalry · realism · spheres of influence · Thucydides · Congress of Vienna · regional dominance · foreign policy · containment · seat at the table · hardball · throne · sanctions · leverage
- foreign policydiplomacy, diplomatic negotiations, sanctions, containment, deterrence
- Realpolitiknational interest, statecraft, geopolitics, hegemony, spheres of influence
- ancient GreeceAthens, Sparta, Zeus, Parthenon, Acropolis
- geopoliticsbipolarity, bloc, blocs, brinkmanship, buffer state
- international relationsbilateral talks, foreign affairs, UN, sanctions, United Nations
- Legalismfa, reward and punishment, legal reforms
power politicssoft power
Influence through appeal
diplomatic engagement · multilateralism · consensus-building · collective security · internationalism
power politicsidealism
Belief in noble principles
rule of law · international law · utopianism · cosmopolitanism · legalism
power, powerful, politics, empower, powerless, powers, overpower, powerfully, horsepower