Zbigniew Brzezinski in the context of Torrijos–Carter Treaties

Realpolitik (/reɪˈɑːlpɒlɪˌtiːk/ ray-AHL-po-lih-teek German: [ʁeˈaːlpoliˌtiːk] ; from German real 'realistic, practical, actual' and Politik 'politics') is the approach of conducting diplomatic or political policies based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than strictly following ideological, moral, or ethical premises. In this respect, it shares aspects of its philosophical approach with those of realism and pragmatism.

While generally used as a positive or neutral term, Realpolitik has been used pejoratively to imply policies that are perceived as being coercive, amoral, or Machiavellian. Prominent proponents of Realpolitik include Otto von Bismarck, Henry Kissinger, George H. W. Bush, George F. Kennan, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Deng Xiaoping, Charles de Gaulle, and Lee Kuan Yew. The opposite of Realpolitik is Idealpolitik.

Adam M. Garfinkle (born June 1, 1951) is an American historian and political scientist and the founding editor of The American Interest, a bimonthly public policy magazine. He was previously editor of The National Interest. He has been a university teacher and a staff member at high levels of the U.S. government. He was a speechwriter to more than one U.S. Secretary of State.Garfinkle was a speechwriter for both of President George W. Bush's Secretaries of State, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. He was editor of The National Interest and left to edit The American Interest in 2005. Francis Fukuyama, Eliot Cohen, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Josef Joffe, and Ruth Wedgwood were among the magazine's founding leadership.

The Policy Planning Staff (sometimes referred to as the Policy Planning Council, as the Office of Policy Planning, or by its in-house initialism S/P) is the principal strategic arm of the United States Department of State. It was created in 1947 by Foreign Service Officer George F. Kennan at the request of Secretary of State George Marshall to serve "as a source of independent policy analysis and advice for the secretary of state." Its first assignment was to design the Marshall Plan.

Early directors include George F. Kennan and Paul Nitze. More recently came Anne-Marie Slaughter, Jake Sullivan, Dennis Ross, Gregory B. Craig, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Haass. Past members include Zbigniew Brzezinski, Sandy Berger, Kori Schake, Michael Armacost, and Peter Berkowitz. At least fourteen past members of the Policy Planning Staff have served as ambassadors.

Mika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski Scarborough (/ˈmiːkə brəˈzɪnski/; née Brzezinski; born May 2, 1967) is an American talk show host who co-hosts MS NOW's weekday morning broadcast show Morning Joe alongside her husband Joe Scarborough. She was formerly a CBS News correspondent, and was their principal "Ground Zero" reporter during the morning of the September 11 attacks. In 2007, she joined MSNBC as an occasional anchor, and was subsequently chosen as co-host of Morning Joe.

Brzezinski is the daughter of diplomat and political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served as a counselor to President Lyndon B. Johnson and as the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter. Brzezinski is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Her main political interest is in wage equality for women. She is the author of six books.

Political science has a long tradition within the United States, and has played a role that has been described as "hegemonic" within the discipline. Individuals from the country have made a disproportionate contribution upon current research. According to a 2014 article by Foreign Policy, almost all present top scholars in international relations possess American citizenship. Influential political scientists from the country include Alexander Wendt, Gene Sharp, John Mearsheimer, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Joseph Nye, Robert Jervis and Kenneth Waltz.