Diplomacy & Politics Glossary

A theory in international relations suggesting that national security is enhanced when military capabilities are distributed so that no one state is strong enough to dominate others.

States form alliances based on perceived threats rather than just power, considering factors like geographic proximity and offensive capabilities.

A strategy where a weaker state aligns with a stronger power to share the benefits of its dominance rather than balancing against it.

A theory in international relations positing that states seek security and survival rather than power maximization, emphasizing cautious behavior in an anarchic system.

A perspective emphasizing that states act primarily to preserve power and security in an anarchic international system, guiding pragmatic foreign policy decisions.

Henry Kissinger practiced Realpolitik emphasizing pragmatic and strategic statecraft over ideological considerations in diplomacy.

John Mearsheimer theorized that states seek maximum power to ensure survival in an anarchic international system.

Neoclassical realism combines systemic factors with domestic variables to explain state behavior in international politics.

A theory in international relations that emphasizes states seek to maximize their power and dominance to ensure security.

Strategy where a great power uses regional allies to check rivals instead of deploying its own forces extensively abroad.

An international relations theory emphasizing state self-interest, power, and survival over ideology or ethics.

Situation where actions by a state to increase its security cause insecurity in others, leading to arms races or conflict.

A theory in international relations emphasizing the anarchic structure of the international system as the primary determinant of state behavior and power distribution.