The study of international politics is about cooperation and competition among sovereign nations and their non-governmental actors at the local, regional, national and global level. It focuses on what motivates these players to cooperate with each other or against each other, whether for economic, security or cultural reasons. It covers a broad range of topics from diplomacy, religion and the economy to gender, foreign policy, and security. It explores and compares the foundational theories and concepts of this field, as well as their underlying assumptions and outcomes.
Although the Western state system has been remarkably efficient in preserving the independence of nation-states, it has done so at the expense of intermittent war. The emergence of the nuclear age has created the need for states to find functional substitutes for large-scale war and international institutions have emerged to do so. But these institutions are increasingly divorced from the rejuvenating spring of domestic politics and as a result, their policies are no longer fully rooted in and endorsed by national political interests. They have become opaque to those who oppose them and their legitimacy has eroded as their decisions are increasingly shaped by the pursuit of power, rather than by genuine interest.
Some critics have also argued that even the most inclusive international order distributes costs and benefits unevenly. They argue that the United States and other powerful countries have rigged the system to seize a disproportionate share of the gains from cooperation and prevent the full realization of liberal ideals.