The study of world politics, with a focus on the behavior and interactions of states. International relations can be studied across multiple disciplines including political science, law, history and economics. At some universities, it is offered as a multidisciplinary major, while others offer a more specialized graduate degree in the field.
International relations is an academic discipline that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century largely in the West as global powers gained influence and dominance. It flourished as a result of a desire to find less-dangerous and more-effective means of conducting foreign affairs; a belief that systematic observation and analysis could dispel ignorance and serve human betterment; and a surge of writing and research inspired by the idea that democratic values were universally applicable and that governments, societies and economies should be guided by those principles.
The term “hegemony” describes a situation in which one country dominates the rest of the world, but it can also refer to a system of power balances in which countries self-consciously act as balancing agents, shifting alliances to maintain equilibrium. The US was a hegemon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but some argue that China is rapidly gaining power and may soon replace it.
The GCC is a regional body of six main Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The group has a common market, joint military operations and plans to create a single currency. But diplomatic rivalries between member states are undermining the coherence of the GCC.
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