Has China Won?


Book Description

The defining geopolitical contest of the twenty-first century is between China and the US. But is it avoidable? And if it happens, is the outcome already inevitable? China and America are world powers without serious rivals. They eye each other warily across the Pacific; they communicate poorly; there seems little natural empathy. A massive geopolitical contest has begun. America prizes freedom; China values freedom from chaos.America values strategic decisiveness; China values patience.America is becoming society of lasting inequality; China a meritocracy.America has abandoned multilateralism; China welcomes it. Kishore Mahbubani, a diplomat and scholar with unrivalled access to policymakers in Beijing and Washington, has written the definitive guide to the deep fault lines in the relationship, a clear-eyed assessment of the risk of any confrontation, and a bracingly honest appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses, and superpower eccentricities, of the US and China.




The Hell of Good Intentions


Book Description

A provocative analysis of recent American foreign policy and why it has been plagued by disasters like the “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of a long hoped-for era of peace and prosperity, relations with Russia and China have soured, the European Union is wobbling, nationalism and populism are on the rise, and the United States is stuck in costly and pointless wars that have squandered trillions of dollars and undermined its influence around the world. The root of this dismal record, Walt argues, is the American foreign policy establishment’s stubborn commitment to a strategy of “liberal hegemony.” Since the end of the Cold War, Republicans and Democrats alike have tried to use US power to spread democracy, open markets, and other liberal values into every nook and cranny of the planet. This strategy was doomed to fail, but its proponents in the foreign policy elite were never held accountable and kept repeating the same mistakes. Donald Trump’s erratic and impulsive style of governing, combined with a deeply flawed understanding of world politics, made a bad situation worse. The best alternative, Walt argues, is a return to the realist strategy of “offshore balancing,” which eschews regime change, nation-building, and other forms of global social engineering. The American people would surely welcome a more restrained foreign policy, one that allowed greater attention to problems here at home. Clear-eyed, candid, and elegantly written, Stephen M. Walt’s The Hell of Good Intentions offers both a compelling diagnosis of America’s recent foreign policy follies and a proven formula for renewed success. “Thought-provoking . . . This excellent analysis is cogent, accessible, and well-argued.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)




World Out of Balance


Book Description

Introduction -- Realism, balance-of-power theory, and the counterbalancing constraint -- Realism, balance-of-threat theory, and the "soft balancing" constraint -- Liberalism, globalization, and constraints derived from economic interdependence -- Institutionalism and the constraint of reputation -- Constructivism and the constraint of legitimacy -- A new agenda




The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations: Volume 4, Challenges to American Primacy, 1945 to the Present


Book Description

Since their first publication, the four volumes of the Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations have served as the definitive source for the topic, from the colonial period to the Cold War. The fourth volume of the updated edition explores the conditions in the international system at the end of World War II, the American determination to provide leadership, and the security dilemma each superpower posed for the other. This revised and expanded edition incorporates recent scholarship and revelations, carrying the narrative through the years following the end of the Cold War into the administration of Barack Obama. The character of the American political system is explored, including the separation of political powers and the role of interest groups that prompted American leaders to exaggerate dangers abroad to enhance their domestic power. This new edition examines the conditions in the international system from the end of World War II to the present, focusing on the American determination to provide world leadership.




Taming American Power: The Global Response to U. S. Primacy


Book Description

Finalist for the 2006 Gelber Prize: "A brilliant contribution to the American foreign policy debate."—Anatol Lieven, New York Times Book Review At a time when America's dominance abroad was being tested like never before, Taming American Power provided for the first time a "rigorous critique of current U.S. strategy" (Washington Post Book World) from the vantage point of its fiercest opponents. Stephen M. Walt examines America's place as the world's singular superpower and the strategies that rival states have devised to counter it. Hailed as a "landmark book" by Foreign Affairs, Taming American Power makes the case that this ever-increasing tide of opposition not only could threaten America's ability to achieve its foreign policy goals today but also may undermine its dominant position in years to come.




The End of the American Era


Book Description

Refuting the conventional wisdom that the end of the Cold War cleared the way for an era of peace and prosperity led solely by the United States, Charles A. Kupchan contends that the next challenge to America’s might is fast emerging. It comes not from the Islamic world or an ascendant China, but from an integrating Europe that is rising as a counterweight to the United States. Decades of strategic partnership across the Atlantic are giving way to renewed geopolitical competition. The waning of U.S. primacy will be expedited by America’s own ambivalence about remaining the globe’s guardian and by the impact of the digital age on the country’s politics and its role in the world. By deftly mining the lessons of history to cast light on the present and future, Kupchan explains how America and the world should prepare for the more complex, more unstable road ahead.




The Grand Chessboard


Book Description

Bestselling author and eminent foreign policy scholar Zbigniew Brzezinski's classic book on American's strategic mission in the modern world. In The Grand Chessboard, renowned geostrategist Zbigniew Brzezinski delivers a brutally honest and provocative vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to become the sole political arbiter in Eurasian lands and to prevent the emergence of any rival power threatening our material and diplomatic interests. The Eurasian landmass, home to the greatest part of the globe's population, natural resources, and economic activity, is the "grand chessboard" on which America's supremacy will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. In this landmark work of public policy and political science, Brzezinski outlines a groundbreaking and powerful blueprint for America's vital interests in the modern world. In this revised edition, Brzezinski addresses recent global developments including the war in Ukraine, the re-emergence of Russia, and the rise of China.




Eagle Rules?


Book Description

Preface p. xi About the Editor p. xvii Chapter 1 Foreign Policy and American Primacy Robert J. Lieber p. 1 Three Propositions about America's World Role p. 3 Reversible Assumptions? p. 12 Implications for Foreign Policy p. 14 Part I The Eagle at Home Chapter 2 Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Ole R. Holsti p. 16 Internationalism or Isolationism p. 18 Threats to Vital U.S. Interests p. 20 Foreign Policy Goals p. 22 Globalization, Trade, and Protectionism p. 25 Foreign Economic Assistance p. 28 Deployment of U.S. Troops Abroad p. 29 Partisanship: Persistence or Abatement? p. 34 Conclusion p. 40 Election Postscript p. 44 Chapter 3 Who Rules the Roost? Congressional-Executive Relations on Foreign Policy After the Cold War Andrew Bennett p. 47 Introduction p. 47 Presidential versus Congressional Perspectives on Foreign Policy p. 50 Historical and Post-Cold War Influences on Foreign Policy Roles p. 52 The Post-Cold War Interbranch Balance on Foreign Policy p. 56 Interbranch Relations on Trade and Finance p. 57 Foreign Policy Appointments and the Senate Confirmation Process p. 58 War Powers p. 61 The Treaty Ratification Process p. 65 Conclusions p. 67 Part II Regional Relations Chapter 4 The United States and Europe: From Primacy to Partnership? Ivo H. Daalder p. 70 The Indispensable Power p. 72 Growing Resentment of American Power p. 81 Europe's Capacity for Partnership p. 89 Europe's Outlook for Partnership p. 92 Sharing Power and Responsibility for Decisions p. 93 Towards Strategic Partnership p. 95 Chapter 5 Transforming Russia: American Policy in the 1990s Gail W. Lapidus p. 97 The Promise and the Critique p. 97 The Policy Framework p. 102 American Policy and Russia's Evolution in the 1990s p. 109 Conclusion: The Limits of Influence p. 129 Chapter 6 The United States and the Americas: Unfilled Promise at the Century's Turn Robert A. Pastor p. 133 The Bush-Clinton Agenda p. 135 The Summit and Other Pieces of the Hemispheric Agenda p. 138 A Divided U.S. Government p. 140 The Postwar Political Template and the Clinton Paradox p. 148 Chapter 7 A Cautionary Tale: The U.S. and the Arab-Israeli Conflict Harvey Sicherman p. 152 Global Conflict to Regional Disturbance p. 154 Madrid: Ratifying U.S. Supremacy p. 156 The Parties Act, and the U.S. Rejoices p. 157 Limits of Influence p. 158 Trouble in the Gulf p. 160 Salvaging the Peace p. 161 Crisis of the End Game p. 162 Camp David II: The Three-Bluff Summit p. 164 Jerusalem Redux p. 166 Fingers in the Dike: From Paris to Sharm p. 167 Clinton's Last Hurrah--and Barak's p. 169 A Clarifying Act of Violence p. 169 The Limits of Influence p. 170 Chapter 8 Iraq and Iran: From Dual to Differentiated Containment Robert S. Litwak p. 173 Historical Background p. 175 Dual Containment of Two "Rogue States" p. 176 Iraq: Containment or Rollback? p. 180 Iran: A Revolutionary or an Ordinary State? p. 184 Implementing "Differentiated Containment": Prospects and Dilemmas p. 188 Chapter 9 Lone Eagle, Lone Dragon? How the Cold War Did Not End for China Edward Friedman p. 194 Human Rights p. 195 Economics p. 199 National Security p. 205 Taiwan p. 207 Conclusion p. 210 Chapter 10 The United States and Africa: Power with Limited Influence Donald Rothchild p. 214 American National Interests in Africa p. 216 Conclusion p. 238 Part III Security Issues Chapter 11 Defense Policy for the Twenty-First Century Cindy Williams p. 241 America's Strategic Choices p. 242 The U.S. Margin of Military Superiority Is Vast p. 244 Military Primacy and Effective Influence p. 246 Pressures on the Defense Budget p. 248 Setting New Military Priorities p. 251 Recalibrating the MTW Measuring Stick p. 254 Finding Nonmilitary Solutions to International Problems p. 260 Conventional Force Structure for the New Century p. 261 Summary p. 264 Chapter 12 Use of Force Dilemmas: Policy and Politics Bruce W. Jentleson p. 266 The National Interest Debate Redux p. 268 Policy Challenges: Ethnic Conflict Deterrence and Humanitarian Intervention Strategies p. 269 U.S. Domestic Political Constraints: How Fixed, How Flexible? p. 276 Conclusion: Difficult, but Doable p. 280 Chapter 13 Weapons Proliferation and Missile Defense: New Patterns, Tough Choices Michael Nacht p. 282 A Brief Historical Review p. 284 Further Challenges at the Century's End p. 289 Tough Policy Choices Ahead p. 291 Initial Perspectives on the Bush Administration p. 297 Part IV Globalization and Its Discontents Chapter 14 Containing Backlash: Foreign Economic Policy in an Age of Globalization Benjamin J. Cohen p. 299 Is Globalization Irreversible? p. 301 Will U.S. Primacy Endure? p. 305 Can U.S. Policy-makers Be Counted On? p. 307 International Trade p. 309 International Finance p. 317 Conclusion p. 321 Chapter 15 The Eagle and the Global Environment: The Burden of Being Essential Robert Paarlberg p. 324 A Model for Success: The 1987 Montreal Protocol p. 325 A Model for Paralysis: The Stillborn Kyoto Climate Change Agreement p. 327 Biodiversity Protection Policy: Failing to Ratify the CBD p. 333 The Price of Disengagement: National Interests Compromised in the 2000 Biosafety Protocol p. 337 Conclusion p. 340 Chapter 16 The United States and International Organizations Stanley Hoffmann p. 342 The Uses of Multilateralism p. 343 The Clinton Years p. 347 The Causes of U.S. Behavior p. 349 Index




Unrivaled


Book Description

Beckley demonstrates that no country is poised to upend American primacy, not economically, not militarily, and not technologically.... The evidence he assembles should be part of any serious debate about where we are headed.― The New York Times The United States has been the world's dominant power for more than a century. Now many analysts believe that other countries are rising and the United States is in decline. Is the unipolar moment over? Is America finished as a superpower? In this book, Michael Beckley argues that the United States has unique advantages over other nations that, if used wisely, will allow it to remain the world's sole superpower throughout this century. We are not living in a transitional, post-Cold War era. Instead, we are in the midst of what he calls the unipolar era—a period as singular and important as any epoch in modern history. This era, Beckley contends, will endure because the US has a much larger economic and military lead over its closest rival, China, than most people think and the best prospects of any nation to amass wealth and power in the decades ahead. Deeply researched and brilliantly argued, this book covers hundreds of years of great power politics and develops new methods for measuring power and predicting the rise and fall of nations. By documenting long-term trends in the global balance of power and explaining their implications for world politics, the book provides guidance for policymakers, businesspeople, and scholars alike.




The Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations


Book Description

The American Search for Opportunity, 1865-1913 analyzes the period between the American Civil War and World War I (1865-1913) as the formative basis for twentieth-century American world power--"The American Century" as it has become known--and examines the "Imperial Presidency" that these roots produced. The extent of U.S. power was so great that it not only transformed American society, but reshaped other societies around the globe as well, by helping fuel--and in some cases directly causing--the great revolutions of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries in Mexico, Russia, China, Cuba, Hawaii, the Philippines, Panama, and Central America. The book, therefore, not only examines American history, but the history of many other areas that were dramatically affected by U.S. power as they entered the twentieth century.