The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (Updated Edition)

Prolific political author John J. Mearsheimer – professor of political science and co-director of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago – offers a detailed and incisive study of the bloody, ruthless business of international politics, in which major nations unendingly compete to assure their survival. This updated edition of his now-classic 2001 work proves Mearsheimer’s sobering theses to be no less true, and his insights no less accurate, than they were at the beginning of this century.

Dominance

Major nations conduct the business of global politics with ferocity. The international system leaves great powers no alternative, because no superior, global authority guarantees security. The most important goal of a great power is survival, and hegemony – being the single great power in a region or the world – offers the best prospect for survival. Thus, great powers need strong militaries.