1 Introduction

The resurgence of geopolitics attests to a profound reconfiguration of the international political economy. After several decades in which policy makers and analysts treated markets as relatively autonomous arenas governed chiefly by the price mechanism, the boundary between commerce and statecraft is once again porous. The instruments of trade, finance, and technology have returned to the service of power politics, much as Edward Luttwak (1990) anticipated when he described a grammar of commerce that increasingly follows the logic of conflict. Recent debates sparked by renewed tariff threats in the United States and by export‑control measures in both Washington and Beijing exemplify this shift, but they do not exhaust it. The phenomenon is global, systemic, and—if earlier cycles are any guide—enduring.

Historical parallels illuminate the present moment. In the early twentieth century, an era of unprecedented globalization gave way to protectionism, competitive devaluations, and strategic trade manipulation after 1914, as Albert Hirschman (1945) famously documented. The post‑1945 Keynesian settlement represented a deliberate reaction to that interwar fragmentation, embedding open markets within a multilateral institutional order. A second reaction followed in the 1980s: the neoliberal ascendancy, underwritten intellectually by the efficient‑markets paradigm, recast economic activity as a domain best insulated from political interference. Each swing of this pendulum has reflected both material shocks and evolving ideas about the proper relationship between state and market. Today’s re‑politicization of commerce marks another inflection point, driven simultaneously by the rise of China, by domestic distributive tensions within advanced economies, and by the weaponization of interdependence through supply‑chain chokepoints and financial sanctions (Blackwill & Harris, 2016; Tucker, 2022).

Contemporary geopolitics operates along two analytically distinct but empirically intertwined axes. The first concerns the control of strategic nodes—rare‑earth minerals, advanced semiconductors, critical maritime passages—whose disruption can yield asymmetric advantage. The second concerns the stewardship of systemic platforms, notably the dollar‑denominated financial network, that condition global liquidity and investment flows. Rivalry across these axes has propelled what some observers term “geofinance,” capturing the fusion of monetary authority and geopolitical leverage. Whether the current U.S.–China competition culminates in a stable equilibrium or in further fragmentation will depend on how states, firms, and multilateral institutions manage these twin dimensions of vulnerability.

This book, geopolitics: Navigated, undertakes three tasks. First, it reconstructs the intellectual lineage of geopolitics thought, tracing how successive crises have re‑embedded markets within political projects. Second, it provides a systematic framework for analyzing contemporary policy instruments—tariffs, subsidies, export controls, investment screening, and currency diplomacy—situating them within broader theories of power. Third, it offers guidance for public and private actors seeking to mitigate the hazards and exploit the opportunities of an environment in which commercial and security logics are inseparable. Throughout, the analysis integrates insights from international political economy, strategic studies, and corporate governance to furnish a comprehensive map for navigating a terrain where the calculus of profit converges with the pursuit of national purpose.

The chapters that follow proceed from conceptual foundations to sector‑specific case studies, concluding with scenarios that model alternative futures for the global order. By aligning historical perspective with rigorous empirical inquiry, geopolitics: Navigated aspires to clarify the stakes of the present transition and to equip readers with the analytical tools required to act responsibly within it.

References

Blackwill, R. D., & Harris, J. M. (2016). War by other means: geopolitics and statecraft. Harvard University Press.

Hirschman, A. O. (1945). National power and the structure of foreign trade. University of California Press.

Keynes, J. M. (1919). The economic consequences of the peace. Macmillan.

Luttwak, E. N. (1990). From geopolitics to geo‑economics: Logic of conflict, grammar of commerce. The National Interest, 20, 17‑23.

Tucker, P. (2022). Global discord: Values and power in a fractured world order. Princeton University Press.

# Introduction The resurgence of geopolitics attests to a profound reconfiguration of the international political economy. After several decades in which policy makers and analysts treated markets as relatively autonomous arenas governed chiefly by the price mechanism, the boundary between commerce and statecraft is once again porous. The instruments of trade, finance, and technology have returned to the service of power politics, much as Edward Luttwak (1990) anticipated when he described a grammar of commerce that increasingly follows the logic of conflict. Recent debates sparked by renewed tariff threats in the United States and by export‑control measures in both Washington and Beijing exemplify this shift, but they do not exhaust it. The phenomenon is global, systemic, and—if earlier cycles are any guide—enduring. Historical parallels illuminate the present moment. In the early twentieth century, an era of unprecedented globalization gave way to protectionism, competitive devaluations, and strategic trade manipulation after 1914, as Albert Hirschman (1945) famously documented. The post‑1945 Keynesian settlement represented a deliberate reaction to that interwar fragmentation, embedding open markets within a multilateral institutional order. A second reaction followed in the 1980s: the neoliberal ascendancy, underwritten intellectually by the efficient‑markets paradigm, recast economic activity as a domain best insulated from political interference. Each swing of this pendulum has reflected both material shocks and evolving ideas about the proper relationship between state and market. Today’s re‑politicization of commerce marks another inflection point, driven simultaneously by the rise of China, by domestic distributive tensions within advanced economies, and by the weaponization of interdependence through supply‑chain chokepoints and financial sanctions (Blackwill & Harris, 2016; Tucker, 2022). Contemporary geopolitics operates along two analytically distinct but empirically intertwined axes. The first concerns the control of strategic nodes—rare‑earth minerals, advanced semiconductors, critical maritime passages—whose disruption can yield asymmetric advantage. The second concerns the stewardship of systemic platforms, notably the dollar‑denominated financial network, that condition global liquidity and investment flows. Rivalry across these axes has propelled what some observers term “geofinance,” capturing the fusion of monetary authority and geopolitical leverage. Whether the current U.S.–China competition culminates in a stable equilibrium or in further fragmentation will depend on how states, firms, and multilateral institutions manage these twin dimensions of vulnerability. This book, *geopolitics: Navigated*, undertakes three tasks. First, it reconstructs the intellectual lineage of geopolitics thought, tracing how successive crises have re‑embedded markets within political projects. Second, it provides a systematic framework for analyzing contemporary policy instruments—tariffs, subsidies, export controls, investment screening, and currency diplomacy—situating them within broader theories of power. Third, it offers guidance for public and private actors seeking to mitigate the hazards and exploit the opportunities of an environment in which commercial and security logics are inseparable. Throughout, the analysis integrates insights from international political economy, strategic studies, and corporate governance to furnish a comprehensive map for navigating a terrain where the calculus of profit converges with the pursuit of national purpose. The chapters that follow proceed from conceptual foundations to sector‑specific case studies, concluding with scenarios that model alternative futures for the global order. By aligning historical perspective with rigorous empirical inquiry, *geopolitics: Navigated* aspires to clarify the stakes of the present transition and to equip readers with the analytical tools required to act responsibly within it. References Blackwill, R. D., & Harris, J. M. (2016). *War by other means: geopolitics and statecraft*. Harvard University Press. Hirschman, A. O. (1945). *National power and the structure of foreign trade*. University of California Press. Keynes, J. M. (1919). *The economic consequences of the peace*. Macmillan. Luttwak, E. N. (1990). From geopolitics to geo‑economics: Logic of conflict, grammar of commerce. *The National Interest*, 20, 17‑23. Tucker, P. (2022). *Global discord: Values and power in a fractured world order*. Princeton University Press.