Zeitgeist in Global Politics

Zeitgeist in global politics refers to the prevailing climate of ideas, norms, and emotions that shapes international relations and political life across countries during a particular period, such as postwar reconstruction, Cold War ideological rivalry, post-1989 liberal optimism, or the contemporary mood of populism, polarization, and multipolarity. Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony and Robert Cox's application of it to world order explain how dominant ideas support international arrangements, and Immanuel Wallerstein's world-systems theory traced ideological cycles in the world economy. Francis Fukuyama's end of history thesis exemplified a triumphant liberal mood, while Samuel Huntington's clash of civilizations offered a contrasting reading. Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink analyzed norm life cycles and cascades, and John Meyer's world society theory explained global diffusion of models. Benedict Anderson examined nationalism as an imagined community, and Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart linked cultural backlash to populist politics. Ulrich Beck argued that global risks foster a cosmopolitan outlook. Critics caution that sweeping narratives can obscure regional variation and power. Zeitgeist in global politics remains central to research on globalization, nationalism, norms, governance, and political change.