The USA's Role: Analyzing Superpower Status Amidst Global Shifts

This essay examines the ongoing debate about the USA's status as the world's superpower, analyzing the challenges posed by the rising influence of China, Russia, and the European Union. It begins by highlighting the historical context of US dominance since World War II, tracing the factors that contributed to its rise, including democratic institutions, the Constitution, shrewd leadership, and capitalism. The essay then delves into the arguments for and against the USA's continued superpower status, focusing on the economic growth and global influence of China, Russia's military capabilities and political maneuvering, and the EU's evolving relationship with the USA. It also considers internal problems within the USA, such as gun control, racism, and political divisions. The essay concludes by suggesting the USA's political, economic and social structures are still key to its superpower status, despite external challenges and internal issues.

IS THE USA STILL THE
WORLD’S SUPERPOWER?
A Case for Rising Superpowers

Introduction
 Since the Second World War, the United
States of America has been enjoying the
privilege of being the world’s most powerful
nation.
 In the recent years, the USA has been the
most dominant nation amongst the world’s
economies.
 Surprisingly, if time could be reversed by
250 years, we would be amazed by finding
the country being only a colony under
British Empire.

Where did the USA get it right?
 Declaration of Independence 1776: Life, Liberty
and the Pursuit of Happiness (James, 2014, pp.
1726).
 Democratic Independent Institutions: the USA has
been the ideal democracy emulated by other
nations.
 The American Constitution: the US recognizes the
supremacy of its constitution.
 Shrewd leaders and diplomats: Many of the US
presidents are known for their shrewdness.
 The concept of capitalism: capitalism can be
attributed to United States’ economic success.

Is the USA still the Superpower?
 There has been many arguments surrounding
whether the USA is still the world’s superpower.
 Many political analysts, as well as lay-men,
believe that the rising of China, Russia and the
European Union (EU) are potential threats to
USA’s dominance and influence over other
economies.
 However, a large section of political economists
believe that US capitalism system is unassailable
(Fichtner, 2017, pp. 12).
 What is your opinion? Who do you think will be
the next world’s superpower?

China
 Currently, the USA and China are in a trade
war.
 Both countries are trying to flex their
muscles to showcase their worldwide
economic dominance.
 China’s potential rise to the superiority
crown is evident the country’s exponential
economic growths.
 China’s GDP per capital growth rate
between 2005 and 2010 was at 8.9%, which
is above the average rate of 4.2% (Barro,
2016, pp. 5).

China Cont.
 China has also made many trade deals with
many third world countries, which threatens
USA’s economic influence in third world
countries.
 Van Ness (2018, pp. 153) reveals that China
has endorsed and supported many third world
countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-16/are-
china-cheap-loans-to-poor-nations-a-debt-trap
/10493286
 Moreover, China’s big and homogeneous
population is an advantage to their
superiority.

China Cont.
 What is more dangerous than a country with
more than one billion people speaking a
similar language and holding similar
religious and traditional beliefs?
 China’s vast lands and innovative human
capital cannot be overlooked.
 Lastly, China’s proficiency in making labor-
intensive products is a boost to the
country’s rise towards superiority. Most of
household appliances in the USA are ‘Made
in China’.

Russia
 Russia has been the United State’s major
arch-rival since the beginning of this century.
 In 1960s, Russia and the US anticipated a
Cold War when both countries went head to
head.
 As from the beginning, the US-Russia rivalry
has been instigated by ideological
differences.
 In the 1960s, for instance, capitalism and
socialism economic ideologies almost led the
two countries into a war.

Russia Cont.
 Who really won the space exploration race?
Sputnik or Apollo 11?
 Decades after the Cold War, ideological
differences and the space exploration race,
the two countries have been competing
over who is better than the other, especially
in terms of military resources and warfare.
 Russia has also formed a partnership with
China as seen in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHiKkSTq
g9I#action=share

Russia Cont.
 Russia’s superiority is perceptible when the USA
was incapacitated to do any military action after
the Russian’s operation in Crimea (Allison, 2014,
pp. 1254).
 Shouldn’t the USA have done something?
 In the highly contested 2016 US Presidential
elections, Russians are feared to have played a
primary part in President Donald Trump’s
election (Persily, 2017, pp. 63).
 Russia’s supremacy can also be associated by
President Vladmir Putin’s fame and power over
the past years.

The EU
 To many, the EU may not have been imagined
as a threat to many USA’s superiority.
 Findings by Riddervold and Newsome (2018,
pp. 511) reveal that the EU-US relations are
weakening.
 Considering that the EU is the largest market
for US products, this weakening relationship
may be a threat to the country.
 In the most recent G7 Summit, French
President Emmanuel Macron overtly ridiculed
US President Donald Trump.

But why is the US still at the
Top?
 Courtesy of its efficient political, economic and social
structures, the USA is still the world’s superpower.
 Despite venturing into third-world countries, China
has not completely eliminated US influence in the
country. For instance, the citizens in the countries
are still Christians and speak English.
 Russia’s military genius is not conventionally
admired.
 The EU is a collection of countries whose individual
countries can fall to US whims. The Brexit, for
instance, may have had some influence from USA.