The Tragedy Of Great Power Politics

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John Mearshimer’s novel, ‘The Tragedy of Great Power Politics’, focuses on how states in the international system seek to establish themselves. Mearshimer has a theory which he calls offensive realism that explains why a peaceful world is unlikely and also shows strategies great powers use to advance over other great powers. At first glance this theory seems very logical and while it does account for much of what has occurred between great powers during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, I believe his theory will become obsolete in the next few centuries. Mearshimer begins his novel by saying international politics has always been a ‘ruthless and dangerous business’ (2) and it will likely always remain that way. Great powers are constantly competing for power and try to gain power at the expense of other states. The main argument of Mearshimer’s offensive realism theory is that the ultimate aim of states it to be the hegemon, or the only great power in the political system (2) Mearshimer defines a hegemon as ‘a state so powerful it dominates all other states in the system and is the only great power in the system’ (40). Global hegemons dominate the world, while regional hegemons dominate specific geographic areas. Mearshimer believes that since no state is likely to achieve global hegemony status, then the great powers will constantly be in competition with each other (2). The main goal of each state is to maximize their share of world power (29). Mearshimer defines power as ‘nothing more than specific assets or material resources that are available to a state’ (57). Others usually define power in terms of the outcomes of interactions between states; they believe power is all about the control or influence one state has over another (57). A state’s potential power is based on the size of the population and the level of wealth. A state’s actual
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