America in the World

Updated briefing

We've updated our America and Race briefing. You can probably guess why!

Ten arguments for America

One very important thing missing from this website is a simple summary of key arguments for rejecting anti-Americanism/ being pro-American.  Please use the thread below to comment on our draft list and suggest a tenth reason...

1. America's vibrant democracy.  America makes mistakes but it corrects from within.  Its free press, separation of powers and lively public square ensure that America never tends towards extremism.
2. America has been shaped by all of us.  America is not a closed society - it remains the land of opportunity and immigration.  People from all over the world emigrate to America in search of a better life or in search of asylum.  More in this briefing.
3. Throughout history America has opposed tyranny.  Think of US involvement in WWII, the post-WWII Marshall Fund, the containment of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the defence of South Korea and Taiwan, the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq.  America's record is certainly not perfect but its overall contribution to global order has been positive.  See our World Without America and World Without The American Soldier videos.
4. American military power remains indispensable for global security.  No other nation comes close to America in terms of military spending and military capability.  Only America could evict Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.  Europe had to turn to American power when Yugoslavia broke up.  American naval power underpins the world's shipping and energy routes.  More in this briefing.
5. The American people are generous. Once private giving is considered the average US citizen gives more to other nations than almost any other nation.  In 2006, for example, the US gave nearly $35bn in private aid to developing nations.  UK citizens gave less than $2bn.  More in this briefing which also captures the importance of remittances and military peacekeeping.
6. American scientific leadership.  America accounts for 31% of global spending on R&D.  From this expenditure comes much medical and technological advance.  More in this briefing.
7. The American economy powers the world economy.  The importance of the US economy is particularly obvious when it falters and we all suffer from the contagion.  American innovation, commitment to free trade and export of the free market model have benefited us all.  More in this briefing.
8. There is no better alternative to US leadership.  Our briefings on the United Nations, the European Union and China make this clear.
9. America's fifty states incubate policy innovation. Because of its decentralised system of government each of the USA's fifty states has the freedom to pursue different policy ideas.  This has produced ideas on welfare reform, new approaches to policing, tax reform and philanthropy that the whole world has benefited from.
10. What would you make the number ten argument?

Once we've absorbed your responses we'll add the list of ten to the sidebar of this page.

Briefing on global governance as an alternative to America

The latest briefing in our series on Alternatives to America examines the notions of global governance and transnationalism as plausible alternatives to American global leadership. The briefing begins by noting:

"Today it is argued that there are global problems such as war, terrorism, climate change, world hunger, inequalities of condition, diseases such as HIV/AIDS and human rights violations that are beyond the capacity of nation-states to ‘solve’. Therefore, some form of transnational political authority above and beyond nation-states (including democratic ones) is required to address these problems."

The briefing goes on to answer this call, asking whether democracy can meaningfully exist at a level higher than the nation state, whether sovereignty can be pooled, and whether international institutions can compete with leading nation states on effectiveness.

Other briefings in the series have looked at China, the United Nations and the European Union.