geoeconomics

thumb|Edward Luttwak was among the first post-Cold War contributors to the idea that the future of geopolitical competition would extend into the economic sphere. Geoeconomics (sometimes geo-economics) commonly refers to analytical frameworks used to assess the strategic spatial properties of national economies or the economic means of statecraft of particular territories in relation to others. Geoeconomics also serves as a strategic discourse and practice in foreign policy, where it is primarily informed by realist and mercantilist traditions. It emphasizes how states can leverage economic power, financial networks, and supply chains to pursue national interests, influence other countries, and shape global order. However, geoeconomics lacks a universally agreed definition, and its usage varies across academic, policy, and journalistic contexts. Some see it as an alternative framework to geopolitics, while others treat it as a complementary or subordinate approach.

The coining of geoeconomics and the distinction of geoeconomics from geopolitics has long been falsely attributed to Edward Luttwak, an American grand strategist and military consultant, who popularized the term at the end of the Cold War. Yet, as historical research has shown, there have been numerous attempts to establish geoeconomics as a distinct field of research, a foreign policy tool, and a political program since the beginning of the 20th century, particularly in Germany and the United States. The first comprehensive elaboration of geoeconomics dates back to 1925 and was published by the German national-conservative writer Arthur Dix.