The Realist Case for Impeachment

States live in a world of anarchy, where no agency or institution exists to protect them from one another. As the political scientist John Mearsheimer likes to say, " If a state gets into trouble in the international system, it can't dial 911." For this reason, realists view international politics as a "self-help" system, where each state has to rely on its own resources and strategies to survive. To put it more simply, it's a jungle out there, and a state that wants to be secure often needs a strong, vigorous, and agile leadership that can do what needs to be done to keep the country safe.

That's why U.S. President Donald Trump must be impeached.

Wait a second: Doesn't foreign-policy realism suggest the opposite? In a dangerous world, shouldn't Americans give the president the benefit of the doubt, so that he is free to conduct an active and vigilant foreign policy? And wouldn't Americans be better off avoiding a constitutional crisis, which will only distract and divide them further and make life easier for their enemies?

No and no. Let me explain....