The U.S. as the Global Superpower (Research Paper Sample)

The U.S. as the global superpower
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Qs. 1.The United States is often portrayed as the most powerful state on earth. Why is this the case? Discuss US power in terms of military power, economic strength, and soft/cultural power. Based on these factors, is this reputation for power deserved? Looking at current trends, is US power growing and getting weaker?
Introduction
Following the outbreak of the financial situation in 2008, the state of the United States superiority remains to pose diverse sentiments from various corners around the world. The prospects for a declining superpower stand on a high, with Asian nations leading the front towards asserting that a new world power is on existence, or in an emerging phase. The issues of national power and the global position for power balance, as well as the generated perceptions towards them remain to hold key strategic importance (Songchuan&Shulong, 2011). The state of the U.S. creates an international impact where different individual governments face the issue at different levels, including policy, strategic, media, business and academic spectrums. The challenges brought forth with the financial crisis and the post-financial crisis era lead to unending, but prominent, questions on the declining power of the U.S. Further, the emergence of other world economies puts the matter of the United States position at a critical point of analysis. The study looks at the position of the United States in terms of its portrayal as the global superpower. Here, an analysis of its military, economic and cultural strengths become considered, with an evaluation of the current position providing the actual state of the nation.
Background to U.S. superiority
The end of the Second World War placed the U.S. as the global superpower. Additionally, the nation’s strength became even greatly fostered in the period of 1990s when the Cold War crisis took center stage. In this view, the United States portrayed an approximate 30% of the total world output in terms of overall economy(Songchuan&Shulong, 2011). Nonetheless, the country’s share of the global economy shows a fall, which becomes evident with the development of a new cycle in the economy from the year 2000 to 2001. Other factors, including the U.S. relative advantages become critical issues in the country’s national power. The declining trend continues to prevail today, while America depicts no significant changes in its various sources of influence and strength(Songchuan&Shulong, 2011). Some of the important sources include the country’s state of science and technology, soft/cultural power, military strength and the economy.
Military power
The geographical position of the U.S. provides a key advantage for its national security position. In the west, the Pacific borders the country, while the Atlantic covers the eastern side thereby enabling the United States to have major control of the lands (Marsh,2015). In this regard, major invasion into the country demands that a competing party takes full control of these shores. The United States Navy prides itself in having strong control of the oceans, which create a huge barrier for any other nation with interests in naval dominance. Thus, the possibility of delivering a naval attack becomes insignificant for other countries. With high investment on the military, the U.S. adopts an offensive approach that focuses on clear dominance of its navy in both oceans. The average annual budget for the nation’s military upkeep and upgrading stands at about $700 billion(Marsh, 2015).
Traditionally, the United Kingdom maintained great naval dominance prior to the emergence of the Second World War. With the development of the war crisis, the U.S. took the opportunity of acquiring naval bases in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific regions as a strategic move towards superiority. With a dedicated and investment-intensive approach, the United States has developed a modern and highly trained navy force extending its state of military prominence on a global level. A view of the country’s naval fleet shows an array of aircraft carriers with considerable amounts of firepower relative to the complete arsenal available in most small nations(Marsh, 2015). The U.S. naval control of the two oceans protects the country against external attacks through deterrence on potential invasion, while strengthening the maintenance of shipping routes that offer economic advantages.
In a recent report by Index, an analysis of the U.S. military power across the globe has developed. In this view, the capability, capacity and readiness for operations become important factors for consideration (Pillalamarri, 2015). Further, the report looks at the challenges faced by the nation’s military force while operating in major areas. Three key regions emerge from the study, including the Middle East, Asia and Europe. The criteria for the review based on an evaluation of various factors: political stability; existing alliances; state of infrastructure; and U.S. military presence. From the report, China and the Soviet Union become the key sources of threat for the United States. Nonetheless, the overall rating places the country at a viable position where it can meet any demands of a serious regional conflict. In conclusion, the Index puts the U.S. at a marginal position in reference to its navy, army, nuclear power and marine corps (heritage.org, 2015).
Economic strength
The economy of the United States reflects a strong position on a global scale given the strong industrial platform, high labor productivity and immense resources. This position becomes largely boosted by the geographical advantages that the country experiences. The control of the Pacific and Atlantic regions enables the U.S. to enjoy great dominance of the world economy. Further, the country has secure border points and faces little competition from other few regional actors(Marsh, 2015). On this note, the United States stands at the center of the global economy as it acts as an intermediary between the European and Asian regions. With a heavy reliance on shipping, international trade becomes highly intensified in the U.S. as it links these regions, leading to significant economic gains. Subsequently, participation in global trade provides the United States with great financial resources, which see it as key trading partner with Japan, China and Europe.
Since the 1930s, the U.S. continues to maintain a relatively high rate of economic growth, even with the challenges faced following the end of the Cold War era(Marsh, 2015). Over the years, the country has shown continued growth in its economy relative to other nations and the world over. In the last two decades, the rate of economic growth depicts a gradual increase when compared to other developed nations, such as Europe and Japan. With a consideration of a ten-year period, the nation reflects an annual growth rate above three percent since the end of World War II. Given this, the economy of the U.S. continues to stand strong as other emerging powers, such as Japan, show minimal growth in the economy over the periods(Arvind, 2011).
Currently, the economic strength of the United States depicts a third position after China and the European Union in terms of global dominance. In 2014, the total output for the country stood at $17.46 trillion, which represents 16% of the total global production level (about.com, 2015). Other major economic powers including Germany, India and Japan show reduced output when combined relative to the U.S. statistics. From the research, the GDP of most nations presents similar values as those depicted with individual states. For instance, the total output from the state of Texas matches that of Canada. In terms of the GDP per capita measure, the United States portrays high standards of living, with a total valuation of $54,800 against China’s $12,900(about.com, 2015).
Soft/ cultural power
While hard power bases on military intervention, soft power refers to the ability to persuade other parties to agree to one’s demands. Over the periods, many activities of the United States elicit a legitimate perception, thus, improving the condition of the country’s soft power(Arvind, 2011). On a global scale, the U.S. remains the only superpower capable of employing the strategy of soft power (Wagner, 2014). Not even Japan, China or Europe can compete at this level with the United States. In the vent of arising disputes and other related issues, great attention has always focused on the country. The Asian region presents a perfect case for this fact, with the relevant parties turning to the U.S. following the 2010 crisis. The influence of the United States becomes clear with the different levels of alliances and strategic relations formed by various nations around the world.
Additionally, the nation’s cultural influence extends globally, with its aspects of education, thinking and life styles standing prominent. The entertainment arena is outstanding, with music, sports, cultural products and Hollywood action drawing growing deep interests in the world over. In terms of education, the U.S. continues to attract the greatest number of young learners from all over the world(Wagner, 2014). There exists no fundamental change in the cultural influence and power of the United States, with other countries reflecting either low or insignificant levels of influence. The sphere of influence becomes a key determinant of the political system in place, the monetary structure and language. On this note, the U.S. possesses a comparative advantage over the current global economies, the European Union and China(Brookes, Campbell & Donnelly, 2003). The cultural diversity in the country originates from th...