Cooperation, competition and alliances

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An arrangement where an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, so members defend one another — e.g. NATO's Article 5.

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A written, usually binding agreement between states creating shared rules or promises — e.g. the NPT limiting nuclear weapons.

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An agreement between states to support each other, often militarily, to gain security or advantage.

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The Non-Proliferation Treaty — states agree to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

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A military alliance whose members promise to defend one another; under Article 5 an attack on one is an attack on all.

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A group of oil-exporting states that coordinate oil production and prices — a form of economic cooperation.

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Because interdependence makes working together pay — they gain security, wealth and solutions to shared problems they could not get alone.

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Yes — the same states can cooperate on one issue and compete on another at the same time.

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They can harden rivalries into rival blocs, drag members into conflicts, and only hold while members' interests align.

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Because states usually cooperate because it serves their interests — cooperation and self-interest go together.

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Both happen at the same time, driven by states' interests, so global politics is a constant mix of the two rather than one or the other.