The liberal tradition has its roots in the Enlightenment, that period in the eighteenth-century Europe when intellectuals and political leaders had a powerful sense that reason could be employed to make the world a better place.

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

Bandwagoning is a strategy for the weak.

The German air offensives against British cities in World Wars I and II not only failed to coerce the United Kingdom to surrender, but Germany also lost both wars.

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

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

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