The Foundations of Political Realism

Abstract

Political realism aims to describe the interaction of agents involved in struggles for political power. This article formulates realism in terms of quantitative postulates that depict political power as a fluid-like substance flowing through a network of agents. It is shown that agent preferences within this framework resemble those of nation states competing for power. It is suggested that this approach provides a methodology for resolving longstanding debates about realism and a template for interpreting aspects of political behavior more generally.