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Research Articles

Vol. 6 (2025): Panoply Journal

Shaping the World Order: The Strategic Logic Behind the Foreign Policies of Great Powers

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71166/rxtvge22
Submitted
4 September 2025
Published
5 November 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the strategic reasoning behind the foreign policies of modern great powers, addressing important shortcomings in international relations literature that often portray great power behavior as unchanging or overly simplified. Moving beyond conventional realist views that focus solely on power and security as fixed goals, this research emphasizes how great powers employ a wide array of tools and adaptive tactics to operate within an increasingly intricate, competitive, and unstable global landscape. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach based on qualitative examination of secondary sources, the paper explores how great powers set strategic aims, utilize varied instruments of statecraft, pursue regional influence, balance cooperative multilateralism with independent unilateral actions, and adjust flexibly to global crises and rivalries. The results demonstrate that the conduct of great powers is complex and evolving, combining military, economic, and diplomatic means tailored to dynamic geopolitical circumstances. Additionally, the ability to respond effectively to emergent challenges such as pandemics and technological changes emerges as a crucial factor in maintaining global influence. The study calls for a more refined understanding of great power politics that integrates both long-standing strategic goals and innovative policy shifts. For policymakers, it highlights the necessity of appreciating the fluid and adaptive nature of great power strategies to better predict international trends and manage competition. Ultimately, this work contributes to the theoretical literature by offering a comprehensive model for understanding how great powers continuously shape and transform the international order in the contemporary era.

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