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Pursuit of power

Definition

The relentless drive to gain authority or control over others; this could be within social groups, organizations, countries etc.

Analogy

Consider it like a chess game. Each player's goal is to checkmate their opponent's king - essentially gaining complete control over the board (power). In world history context too, many conflicts arise from one group's pursuit of power over another.

Related terms

Imperialism: A policy or ideology by which a nation extends its power by acquiring territories. It may also include the exploitation of these territories for economic gain.

Colonialism: The practice by which a powerful country directly controls less powerful countries and uses their resources to increase its own power and wealth.

Autocracy: A system where one person has absolute power.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.