How should political actors wield power according to realists?

Answer 1

Political realism is a theory of political philosophy which argues that politics functions to consolidate power. This can mean either that political actors should only take action which consolidates power or that political actors will only take action if it consolidates power (viewing realism as a description of what should be vs. what is). It is usually applied to nation-state actors, but it can also be used on an individual actor level.