The main difference between international politics and domestic politics is that international politics operates in an environment of anarchy . In other words, there is no higher government in the international system. In a domestic political system, the government monopolizes the legitimate use of force, but in international politics there is no such thing as a monopoly on the use of force. Since force is dispersed among states and there is no higher government to regulate interstate behavior, force is the ultimate means of resolving interstate conflicts. Try to conjure up the image of the wild, wild west in a Western movie.
Law is ineffective and widely ignored.
The fastest gunfighter survives and prevails. In other words, every state must rely on its own resources to safeguard its own interests and survival. Gunfight at the OK Corral. To view the video, you need RealPlayer . If you have not yet downloaded RealPlayer , it is available free of charge.