Abstract: This study aims to systematically examine the developmental trajectories, intellectual structure, and research trends of international scholarship on (im) politeness and power, with a focus on theoretical development, interdisciplinary expansion, and future research directions. A mixed-methods approach combining CiteSpace knowledge mapping and critical discourse analysis reveals four major patterns. First, annual publications have shown a phased upward trend, with three periods of increased research activity around 2011, 2020, and 2022, while research topics have gradually expanded to include power reconfiguration in digital environments, institutional (im) politeness, and techno-ethical issues. Second, the disciplinary distribution is characterized by the continued prominence of pragmatics, the expansion of critical discourse research, and increasing interdisciplinary engagement, with research perspectives gradually extending from micro-level analyses of communicative strategies to broader examinations of power relations and ideological critique. Third, highly cited publications indicate that theoretical approaches have gradually expanded from research on communicative strategies, ideological critique, and dynamic negotiation to ethical considerations, reflecting the theoretical deepening of research on (im) politeness and power. Fourth, major research themes include ritualized power negotiation, the resistant functions of conflict discourse, theoretical localization in non-Western contexts, and changes in power relations associated with digital technologies, with (im)politeness and power in healthcare settings gradually emerging as an area deserving scholarly attention. By integrating bibliometric analysis with an examination of theoretical trajectories, this study highlights the broader shift in research on (im) politeness and power from micro-level pragmatic analysis toward macro-level critiques of power and ethical inquiry. It also identifies potential avenues for interdisciplinary development and context-sensitive research, thereby providing reference for future theoretical integration and methodological innovation.