The Changing Global Order: The United States, Rising Powers, and the Scramble for the 21st Century

The United States and the West remain central to managing the new global order, though there are now more players on the global stage. Despite the rising influence of old powers, the United States alone retains the diplomatic reach to forge the alliances and catalyze the collective action necessary to navigate today\u27s globalized world. Brazil, Turkey, and India can drive initiatives in niche roles, but have only regional, not truly global clout. China has global economic reach, but its diplomatic strategy teeters between defensive and alienating, and China is not expected to assume the lead in addressing global problems. Will the democratic West and the new actors work together to forge an effective new order? Or will the forces of entropy and collective action problems undermine our ability to manage great power tensions and solve global problems? What role will international and regional institutions play? This lecture will illustrate the new dimensions of order by examining three defining issues: competition over energy; maritime security; and the fraught question of humanitarian intervention,(or the so-called) ‘responsibility to protect.\u2