Power, Competition, and the International System: Reassessing the Realist Conception of International Politics as a Struggle for Power Among Nations Introduction Among the foundational propositions of international relations theory, few have been as influential as the realist contention that international politics is fundamentally a struggle for power among sovereign states. Associated most prominently with thinkers … Continue reading Analyse the realist contention that competition for power among states is the defining feature of international relations.Assess whether the persistence of geopolitical rivalry validates the classical realist claim that international politics is fundamentally a struggle for power among nations.