  Political realism aims to describe the interaction of agents involved in
struggles for political power. This article formulates realism in terms of
quantitative postulates that depict political power as a fluid-like substance
flowing through a network of agents. It is shown that agent preferences within
this framework resemble those of nation states competing for power. It is
suggested that this approach provides a methodology for resolving longstanding
debates about realism and a template for interpreting aspects of political
behavior more generally.
