International relations is a field that studies the interactions between nations on the global stage. A degree in this subject can lead to a career in government, diplomacy, law, business, and more. International relations majors study a range of subjects, including politics, economics, history, and language, to develop an understanding of how events in the world affect other countries.
The term ‘international relations’ was coined in the early 20th century as intellectuals pondered on the causes of World War I, the deadliest conflict in history to that date. The devastation of the war reinforced the belief that the knowledge and practice of international relations constituted an important human enterprise that must be studied and disseminated.
A state that aspires to hegemony over other states, and thus has dominance over its neighbors. Hegemony is often considered a threat to the peace and prosperity of other countries.
An official recognition of a sovereign country by another sovereign country, as evidenced in the granting of passports and the recognition of a person’s right to asylum in the host country.
A revolution that reshapes the internal affairs of a state, but also reshapes the regional or international relations of the state. Examples include the French, Russian and Iranian revolutions.
A policy that aims to advance a state’s interests rather than uphold its moral principles. Usually, such policies are characterized as “neoconservative,” although they may be of a different ideological stripe. An example is the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in which Saudi Arabia and Qatar compete diplomatically, threatening its cohesion.