ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Polarity in international relations

Polarity in international relations refers to how strong different countries are compared to each other.

Think of it like a seesaw. Some countries are really big and powerful, like a grown-up sitting on one end of the seesaw. Other countries are smaller and not as powerful, like a kid sitting on the other end of the seesaw.

The more big and powerful countries there are, the more balanced the seesaw is. But if there are only a few big and powerful countries, the seesaw is unbalanced and those big countries have more power than the smaller ones.

This can affect how countries interact with each other. In balanced situations, countries might work together more equally and fairly. But in unbalanced situations, big and powerful countries might have more influence and control over what happens in the world.

So basically, polarity in international relations is like a seesaw where some countries are bigger and more powerful than others, and that can impact how they work together.