International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Relations - Essay Example A nation cannot be referred to as sovereign without stable security. The success of all the development activities that a state undertakes is determined by the security status of that state as well as that of other nations. Majority of the key world powers retain their status through maximizing their share of the world power. According to Mearsheimer, some of the notable behaviors applied include regional hegemony, accumulating maximum wealth, achieving the preeminent land power and nuclear superiority. Many of these nations dearly ensure the security of their territories owing to the underlying realist notion that the world is characterized by competition and war and that every state should possess an inherent military offensive to preserve their sovereignty. This leads to the enhancement of suspicions and fear over the intentions of another state in the use of military offensive. Alternatives that exist beyond maximizing the security interests of a state include enhancement of glob al military dominance, economic superiority, and social-cultural cohesiveness. Global Military Dominance Most states focus on security to preserve their legacy of maintaining global dominance. It is common logic that primacy brings a lot of interests spanning from balancing the world power and spearheading the world peace efforts. When a state is at the pinnacle of power like the United States of America, the only probable step that it can make is towards downfall. Realists postulate that, under such circumstances, insecurity may worsen the situation further. According to Walt, the fear of an imminent decline in control of global power control arose from the United States capability of reaching the zenith.