Political Realism
Starts from conflict, power, security, and political constraints rather than treating government as the direct application of an ideal moral theory.
Foundational doctrines
- Prudence
- Power and security
- Political constraints
- National interests
Disagreement and variation
Realists disagree over which moral standards remain appropriate to politics; critics ask when attention to necessity becomes an excuse for avoidable coercion. Classical realists can recognize moral limits; domestic political realism is not identical to international-relations realism.
Numerical positions in the interactive model are editorial reference estimates, not scientifically validated measurements.