International relations is a major multidiscipline within political science, with significant overlap with other fields including history, philosophy, sociology and law. It investigates how international systems work, including the balance of power between countries, regional cooperation and global institutions. It also explores a variety of theories and approaches to world politics, ranging from realism to liberalism to constructivism.
The idea that nations should share resources and values in order to promote peace and prosperity. This theory is often credited to Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points after the end of World War I, which emphasized peaceful co-operation as an alternative to military force.
A country with a great deal of influence over other countries, typically owing to its size or economy. The United States is usually considered a hegemon, although China may overtake it soon. A system of interconnected world economies that becomes increasingly integrated through trade, investment and the movement of people, goods and ideas across national boundaries. It can result in rapid changes in economies, cultures and political systems; sometimes triggering conflict as competing interests vie for resources and status.
An academic field that studies the interactions between sovereign states and other international entities such as multinational corporations, international organizations, nongovernmental groups and the media. The study of international relations is a core part of political science, but may also include anthropology, economics, geography, law, philosophy, sociology and history. It examines domestic and foreign policy, diplomatic and military issues, the distribution of power among the world’s great powers and the dynamics of globalization.
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