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John Mearsheimer Quotes

born 1947 United States

John J. Mearsheimer (born December 14, 1947) is an American professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago.

United States
Academics
Educators
Non-fiction authors
Political scientists

Also known as: John J. Mearsheimer, John j. mearsheimer

Random John Mearsheimer quote

32 quotes

The most dangerous states in the international system are continental powers with large armies.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

In the anarchic world of international politics, it is better to be Godzilla than Bambi.

In an ideal world, where there are only good states, power would be largely irrelevant.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Simply put, the most powerful state is the one that prevails in a dispute.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

The ideal situation for any state is to experience sharp economic growth while its rivals' economies grow slowly or hardly at all.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

States have two kinds of power: latent power and military power.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

A state's potential power is based on the size of its population and the level of its wealth.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Great powers must be forever vigilant and never subordinate survival to any other goal, including prosperity.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

In short, unbalanced bipolar systems are so unstable that they cannot last for any appreciable period of time.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Preserving power, rather than increasing it, is the main goal of states.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that way.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Offensive realism predicts that the United States will send its army across the Atlantic when there is a potential hegemon in Europe that the local great powers cannot contain by themselves.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

This self-defeating behavior, so the argument goes, must be the result of warped domestic politics.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

China, in short has the potential to be considerably more powerful than even the United States.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

States care about relative wealth, because economic might is the foundation of military might.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

When an aggressor comes on the scene, at least one other state will eventually take direct responsibility for checking it.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Important benefits often accrue to states that behave in an unexpected way.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Specifically, the presence of oceans on much of the earth's surface makes it impossible for any state to achieve global hegemony.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Bandwagoning is a strategy for the weak.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

A potential hegemon, as emphasized throughout this book, must be wealthier than any of its regional rivals and must possess the most powerful army in the area.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: John Mearsheimer (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.