Structural realism emphasizes four core elements of international politics:

• States are seen as rational actors and by far the most important actors in the international system.

• The international system is anarchic; there is no international authority that can prevent the use of force between states.

• Each state cannot take its security for granted and thus, is responsible for ensuring its own survival, most notably through the nurturing of material capabilities.

• The balance of power (the formation of alliances with certain states to counter the threat of other states) is the defining mechanism that regulates the international system and explains war and peace.