AMERICA’S UNIPOLARISM: A SUMMARY OF AMERICA’s EXPERIENCE 1991-2009.

Today post is on a concept that is dominant in the 21st century international system. This concept is the term called unipolarism or unipolar system. A lot of work has been done on the concept of unipolarism, U.S.A as the unipolar power and how U.S.A influences all countries around the world. The influence ranges from military, political, economic to cultural, social to mention a few. It got me thinking what then are the effects (negative) of unipolarism and globalisation on America.  The choice of 1991 is related to George Bush official declaration of the end of cold war which led to U.S.A as the only super power this was due to the collapse of Soviet Union (U.S.S.R).

Please take note: unipolarism, unipolarity, unipolar are used interchangeably

So this post will quickly look at the concept unipolarism which is considered as one of the ways in which power is distributed in the international system. Unipolarity(sm) in international politics is a distribution of power in which one state exercises most of the cultural, economic and military influence.[1] During the period of study 1993-2008 U.S.A. is recognised as the unipolar power.

It is important to note that Post-cold war American foreign policy as been framed and associated with unipolarism in the sense that foreign policy exhibits behaviours like actively participating in binding regional institution, fighting terrorism, and inhibiting nuclear proliferation. Thus, the US foreign policy has shaped and responded to the international system and over the course of the 1990s up to date; America’s dominance in the world looms larger and wider.    The question that comes to mind is that apart from the believed positive outcome ,what are the negative outcome of been the unipolar power?

This America experience covers the effect of globalisation, and the American Unipolarism on America itself. Due to globalisation and America’s unipolar status , America and Americans are now faced with challenges, one of which is that the globalisation of the American economy has placed continuous  pressure on America jobs because of the increase of immigrants in America. Automobile industries such as  General motors are relocating in search of cheaper terrain for production [2]

With the unipolar power America has been faced with several challenges such as computer and other high tech companies are relocating research facilities to India and China;  telephone call centres are moving from America to Ireland. America is faced with rising oil price which is triggered by the Middle East and the rising demand from china which has threatened the status quo.[3]

Thus despite being a leading player in globalisation, American  economy has been faced with foreign investors who are holding huge quantities of America’s public debt.  America generally has been ravaged by internal problems such as high rate of immigration, refugee problems, population growth,[4] environmental problems. Americans have become more divided as  over social and cultural issues such as race groups, gay rights, increase in insecurity due to terrorism, inequality  etc.[5]

Thus having looked at the America’s experience  in the light of globalisation and America Unipolar status, the effect of America’s position on the American society is both positive and negative. The negative includes the threat of terrorism as USA made it a mandate to since sept 11 attack, Tax cut. Internal problems such as high rate of immigration, refugee problems, population growth, environmental problems etc

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REFERENCE

Picture of Hal Brands book Making the Unipolar Moment from google

[1] Jiang, Shiwei. “Is Bipolarity a sound recipe for world order–as compared to other historically known alternatives. In ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in the USA Options on the Table,” Soft Power, Intercultural Dialogue & the Future of US Foreign Policy. 2013″

[2] Robert A. D , Bresen T.H, Fredrickson G.M,  etal, 2007. American Past and Present, p 656

[3] Robert A. D , Bresen T.H, Fredrickson G.M,  etal, 2007. American Past and Present, p 656

[4] Davidson J.W, Gienapp W. F., Heynard C.M etal 1999. Nations of Nations, Boston: McGrawHill Inc p940-946

[5] Robert A. D , Bresen T.H, Fredrickson G.M,  etal, 2007. American Past and Present, New York: Pearson Education Inc pp 655-656