“Geopolitics”: What Is It Good For?

In recent years, the term “geopolitics” has become ubiquitous (see Graph below). This has helped spread awareness of important political dynamics. However, for the purposes of professional business risk analysis, the concept suffers from overstretch and confusion, as it is used in many different ways, with different meanings. This note dissects some of these meanings, identifies their assumptions, and highlights potential analytical shortcomings.