The United States has positioned itself as the global super power following the end of the Second War and Cold War. By 1950, the United States remained as the only nation capable of acting as a mediating party as a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. This changing geopolitical environment gave the United States the role in supporting emerging nations in search of democratic constitutions, focus their attention towards neutral regions, took pivotal roles in international peace initiatives and treaties and supported nations ruined by the Second World War to build infrastructure and gain economic stability.
In the current global political and economic setup, United States has played a critical role in the promotion of free trade, deterrence in the development of nuclear weapons and enhancement of international security. The promotion of free trade has been precipitated the emergence of China as a global power. According to Stanley Foundation (1) “the United States and the People’s Republic of China are eyeing each other somewhat uneasily across the Pacific, each unsure of the other’s ultimate regional and global aspirations and the implications for national security.” The decades of peace in the world has ignited the reaction of the United States to respond with renewed push for missile defense and military modernization. The role of the United States has thus shifted to rely on unilateral decisions to international disputes. These have defined the new challenges that the United States has had to confront in the current geopolitical nature of the world.
References
Stanley Foundation. (2000). The Global Role of the US and Implications for the PRC: A Dialogue Between the New Generation of International Relations’ Analysts in the PRC and the US. Web.