National power is defined as the sum of all resources available to a nation in the pursuit of national objectives.

National power is composed of various elements, also referred to as instruments or attributes; these may be grouped into two categories based on their applicability and origin - "national" and "social".

Important facets of geography such as location (geography), climate, topography and size play a major role in the ability of a nation to acquire national power. Location has an important bearing on foreign policy of a nation. The relation between foreign policy and geographic location gave rise to the discipline of geopolitics.

The presence of a water obstacle provided protection to nation states such as Great Britain, Japan and USA and allowed Japan to follow isolationist policies. The presence of large accessible seaboards also permitted these nations to build strong navies and expand their territories peacefully or by conquest. In contrast, Poland with no obstacle to separate from its powerful neighbours even lost its independent existence as a nation being partitioned among the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria from 1795 onwards till it regained its independence in 1918. Climate affects the productivity of Russian agriculture as the majority of the nation is located in latitudes well north of those providing ideal conditions for farming. Conversely, Russia's size permitted it to trade space for time during the Great Patriotic War.

Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (born January 7, 1963) is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian. He is the son of Republican Congressman and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas and had never previously held political office. Paul first received national attention in 2008 when making political speeches on behalf of his father. Rand Paul is the first United States Senator in history to serve alongside a parent in the United States House of Representatives.

A graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine, Paul has been a practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, since 1993, and established his own clinic in December 2007. In 1994, he founded Kentucky Taxpayers United, of which he is still the chairman.

In 2010, Paul ran as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky and defeated Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway. As a supporter of the Tea Party movement, Paul has been vocal in advocating for term limits, a balanced budget amendment, and the Read the Bills Act, in addition to the widespread reduction of federal spending and taxation. He has gained prominence for his independent positions on many political issues, often clashing with both Republicans and Democrats.

Valerie Bowman Jarrett (born November 14, 1956) is a senior advisor and assistant to the president for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama administration. She is a Chicago lawyer, businesswoman, and civic leader. Prior to that she served as a co-chairperson of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.

Jarrett was born in Shiraz, Iran to American parents James E. Bowman and Barbara Taylor Bowman. Her father, a pathologist and geneticist, ran a hospital for children in Shiraz, as part of a program where American doctors and agricultural experts sought to help jump-start developing countries' health and farming efforts. When she was five, the family moved to London for one year, returning to Chicago in 1963.

In 1966 her mother, Barbara T. Bowman, was one of four child advocates that created the Erikson Institute. The Institute was established to provide advanced knowledge in child development for teachers and other professionals working with young children.

As a child she spoke Persian and French.

Nancy Keenan (born February 14, 1952) is the current president of the United States-based reproductive/abortion rights organization National Abortion Rights Action League - Pro-Choice America (NARAL). On May 10, 2012, Keenan announced that she will step down as the president of NARAL at the end of 2012.

Keenan was born in Anaconda, Montana. She earned an undergraduate degree in education from Montana State University and master's degree from the University of Montana. Keenan began her career as a special-education teacher before winning election to the Montana House of Representatives. In 1988 she won the first of three terms as the statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction for Montana. She served until 2000. In 2000, Keenan ran for the Montana at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. She was defeated by Republican Denny Rehberg. From 2003-2004, Keenan worked as the Education Policy Director of the organization People For the American Way (PFAW).