Realist theories in international relations, rooted in foundational works such as Hans Morgenthau’s Politics Among Nations (1948) and Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics (1979), conceptualize the international system as fundamentally anarchical, meaning that there is no overarching authority above sovereign states to enforce rules or guarantee security. In this environment, states are the primary … Continue reading How do realist theories conceptualize the strategies states must adopt to survive in an anarchical international system?