Nature of International Politics:

(1) Nations as Primary Actors of International Relations:

Nations are in International Politics what groups are in Politics. Politics is a process of
interactions among groups and International Politics is primarily a process of interactions among
nations. Nations-states are the key actors but along with them several non-state, transnational
and supra-national groups also play an important role in international relations. The primacy,
however, belongs to nation-states because these still control all the instruments of coercion and
violence in international relations. National Power is the faculty of each nation-state.

(2) National Interest as the Objective:

National interest is the objective that each nation attempts to secure in relations with other
nations. International Politics basically involves the art of preserving or securing goals of
national interests by using control over other nations. It is the process by which each nation tries
to safeguard and secure its interests in conditions of conflict with other nations.

(3) Conflict as the condition of International Politics:

The national interests of various nations are neither fully compatible nor fully incompatible. The
incompatibility of national interests of various nations is a source of conflict at the international
level which finds concrete manifestation in the form of disputes. However, possibility of making
the interests compatible through accommodation, adjustment, and reconciliation leads to some
cooperation among nations. As such both conflict and cooperation, as well as coercion and
persuasion are always present in international relations. Study of International Politics involves
a study of conflict and conflict-resolution among nations.

(4) Power as the Means:

In conditions of conflict, each nation attempts to secure the goals of its national interest. The
means for securing these goals is power. That is why each nation is continuously engaged in
the process of acquiring, maintaining, increasing and using power. The power that backs a
nation attempt to secure its national interest is called National Power.

It can be defined as the ability to influence, control and regulate behaviour and actions of other
nations for securing intended effects/results in relations with them. National Power is the
currency of international relations. Power in the context of international relations is
conceptualized as National Power.

(5) Power as the means as well as an end in International Politics:

In International Politics, power is both the means as well as an end. Nations always use power
for securing the goals of their national interests. At the same time they regard power as a vital
part of their national interest and therefore try to build and keep a reserve of national power.
Each nation always works for maintaining and increasing its national power.

(6) International Politics as a Process of Conflict-Resolution among Nations:

Conflict is the condition of International Politics. It is the most important element of International
Politics because in the absence of conflict of interests, power can have little function to perform.
Conflict is the very basis of international relations. It is at the root of both disputes and
cooperation among nations. Conflict of interests is a reality of international relations.

However, at the same time, it cannot be denied that the existence of conflict compels the
nations with similar goals of national interests to cooperate with each other. For example, the
existence of conflict keeps alive the fear of a possible new World War. This impels the nations to
cooperate for taking effective steps for preventing a future world war. Nations always try to
cooperate for securing conflict-resolution at international level.

(7) International Politics involves continuous interactions among Nations:

Since the national interests of various nations are in conflict with one another, conflict cannot be
completely eliminated from international society. However, at the same time, conflict must be
resolved because unresolved confect can lead to war. This necessitates continuous attempts on
the part of nations to adjust their relations with one another. Nations try to achieve this by
means of their power and resources. They are therefore continuously engaged in the process of
interactions. This makes international politics a continuing phenomenon of interactions.

(8) Interactions among Foreign Policies:

Since international environment is very complex and dynamic and the each nation has to act in
conditions characterised by conflict cooperation, competition, war, tensions and uncertainties, it
is essential for each nation to formulate and out on the basis of its foreign policy. In fact, each
nation always formulates and follows its foreign policy which defines the goals of its national
interest as well as the means to be used for securing these. The relations among nations mostly
take the form of interactions among the foreign policies of the nations.