The Politics of Relative Decline

The United States finds itself in a curious position as the 20th Century draws to a close. It is the only superpower in the world and yet it no longer holds the pre-eminent role it had just a few decades ago. The emergence of Japan and the growing geo-political aims of the European Community, in particular, have had a significant impact on the US. The object of this book is to interrogate the notion of the relative decline of the United States and to examine its consequences both in the arena of domestic politics and in the sphere of external relations. The individual chapters address a series of specific questions. How should we understand the changing position of the United States? What will be the impact of relative decline on the United States' role in the global political order? Will the diplomacy of the United States have to be modified to accommodate changing geo-political circumstances? How will the institutions of American government respond to the impact of relative decline? The editors have drawn together a number of outstanding scholars to explore these pressing issues.
They include Steve Reilly, Taketsugu Tsurutani, Patrick Morgan, Robert Kuttner, Gillian Peele, Michael Siegel, Nigel Bowles, Walter Oeszek, Alan Ware and Joseph S. Nye, Jr.
 
The United States finds itself in a curious position as the 20th Century draws to a close. It is the only superpower in the world and yet it no longer holds the pre-eminent role it had just a few decades ago. The emergence of Japan and the growing geo-political aims of the European Community, in particular, have had a significant impact on the US. The object of this book is to interrogate the notion of the relative decline of the United States and to examine its consequences both in the arena of domestic politics and in the sphere of external relations. The individual chapters address a series of specific questions. How should we understand the changing position of the United States? What will be the impact of relative decline on the United States' role in the global political order? Will the diplomacy of the United States have to be modified to accommodate changing geo-political circumstances? How will the institutions of American government respond to the impact of relative decline? The editors have drawn together a number of outstanding scholars to explore these pressing issues.
They include Steve Reilly, Taketsugu Tsurutani, Patrick Morgan, Robert Kuttner, Gillian Peele, Michael Siegel, Nigel Bowles, Walter Oeszek, Alan Ware and Joseph S. Nye, Jr.