American strategy towards the world order after the Cold War. Digest of World Politics

Abstract

After the end of the Cold War, the United States emerged as a country with the greatest economic and military capabilities, which was eager to play an active role in restructuring institutions of international order. This article aims to assess the U. S. record from the 1990s till mid — 2010s in global governance, assessing the main changes in its strategy during this period. The paper is organized mainly in accordance with a chronological principle. However, considerations on the American policies are preceded by the exploration of the theoretical discussion on the main contradictions in the attitude of major powers towards international orders. After that, the strategies of three U. S. administrations dealing with global economic regulation and institutions for maintaining international security are consistently analyzed. The paper demonstrates that during the last quarter of a century the United States pursued a wide range of policies towards international institutions. The environment in which Washington conducted its foreign policy changed dramatically, reducing its ability to direct the restructuring of international norms. Nevertheless, the U. S. approach, at least in part, was shaped by the strategic choices made by its leadership. Moreover, Washington’s policies throughout this period clearly diverged from expectations set in the theoretical literature as they included a major revisionist component.