Political opportunism Political opportunism Political opportunism refers to the attempt to maintain political support, or increase political influence, in a way which disregards relevant ethical or political principles. The political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli as described in "The Prince" is often regarded as a classic manual of opportunist scheming, and indeed a "Machiavellian" is nowadays defined as "a cunning, amoral, and opportunist person, especially a politician". Political opportunism is interpreted in different ways, but usually refers to one or more of the following: Typically, opportunist political behavior is criticized for being short-sighted or narrow-minded. That is, in the urge to make short-term
Christopher Lynch (political scientist) Lynch was granted the Olin Faculty Fellowship to support his work on a new book about Machiavelli's thoughts on war. Additionally, on the 500th anniversary of the writing of Machiavelli's "The Prince", Lynch was discussant in the "Machiavelli's "The Prince" at 500: Rereading "The Prince" in the 21st Century" Panel at the 2013 American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Chicago, and he spoke at Harvard University on the question of whether Machiavelli is a philosopher. Lynch has been a part of workshops and seminars at Army War College, Naval War College, and National Defense University. Additionally,