ABSTRACT
One of the most widely held perspectives on international relations is certainly the Realist approach, alternatively labelled as the state-centric or power-and-security approach. The most important characteristic of the state, but also the most important weapon in international relations, is real and perceived power. Power in international relations is the capacity of a nation to use its tangible and intangible resources in such a way as to affect the behaviour of other nations. There are two main types of actors in international relations: classes and governments. The influence of Structuralism relates to the treatment of the state as not being an independent actor but being affected by other actors. From Functionalism, it accepts the group-based approach and the existence of cooperation. From both Neo-Realism and Functionalism, it accepts the assumption that the sectoral approach is the most applicable to current world politics.
