International politics is concerned with the interactions of nation states, including global governance institutions like the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, major corporations that impact the world economy, movements advocating for climate action or human rights, and influential media that shape how we perceive the world around us. It focuses on questions like: Why and how do individuals, groups and nations cooperate for mutual benefit? Conversely, how do they compete against each other? International politics draws on the fields of diplomacy, foreign policy, global security, and international economics, while also drawing from areas such as anthropology, history, geography, law, philosophy, political science, sociology and statistics.
The prevailing theories of international politics fall into the categories of realism and liberalism. Realism argues that state actors are self-interested and operate in an environment of anarchy. It advocates that cooperation is only possible if there are incentives to do so (like a “positive sum game” that benefits both parties). It also argues that a state’s power in the world depends on its ability to protect its domestic interests, whether through military or economic means.
Liberal IR theory takes the opposite view, believing that state actors have an interest in cooperation because they recognize that their actions can have positive impacts on the lives of others. It argues that institutions are necessary to create incentives for cooperation and to promote peace. It also emphasizes that the international arena is not only populated by sovereign states, but that non-state actors, such as individuals, international organizations and multinational corporations play important mediating roles.
About the Author
