Will the United States remain as the

world’s superpower?

Philippine Foreign Relations

November 11, 2020
How did America maintain its global
hegemony?
● According to Alfred McCoy (2018), the global
system that existed since the end of World War
II rests on the following:
1. “community of sovereign nations under the
rule of law”
2. American military and economic power
Four-tier apparatus that guarantee
America’s global dominance
1. Military – military bases around the world
2. Diplomatic – America’s diplomatic corps actively
seek bilateral ties and multilateral alliances
3. Economic – aid, multilateral trade pacts, and
American transnational corporations
4. Clandestine – covert operations by Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) and surveillance by
National Security Agency (NSA)
 US in decline

● US’ share of the global economy declined from 40%

in 1960 to 15% in 2017
● Other countries enhanced their clandestine activities
(ex. Russian interference of 2016 US elections)
● China’s Belt and Road Initiative may threaten US’
geopolitical position in Eurasia
 US in decline
● Donald Trump’s presidency exacerbates
America’s vulnerable position
 Reference
McCoy, Alfred (2018, January 16) The World
According to Trump or How to Build a Wall and
Lose an Empire. Retrieved from
https://www.tikkun.org/losing-the-american-empire