Download USA Influence Model Essay

To what extent does a world power you have
studied have influence in international
relations?”
The USA is one of the most powerful countries in
the world and its international impact is farreaching. It is often referred to as being a beacon
of democracy and an example for other countries.
The US has huge economic and military power.
Furthermore, it is an influential member of
international organisations and has forged positive
relationships with many other world powers. It has
however suffered recently in terms of its economy
and it has strained relations with some foreign
countries. This essay will determine the extent of
US global influence.
The USA is hugely influential, partly because of
its economic power. The US is the world’s largest
economy. It has the highest GDP in the world at
$16.2 trillion, and an abundance of natural
resources. For example, it is a world leader in oil
and gas production, as well as manufacturing. Over
130 of the world’s biggest 500 companies are
American, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron. The
huge wealth generated by the US gives it huge
international influence. Many American companies
operate globally which again demonstrates the
USA’s influence. In addition, the fact that so
many countries in the world were affected by the
2008 recession, which began in the US,
demonstrates how the economies of other
countries are heavily dependent on the US.
However, in recent years the economic influence
of the US has faltered. The US’s economic
supremacy has come under threat due to the
recent global recession and increasing competition
from other countries. Total public and private
debt in the USA is three times its GDP at over
$50 trillion. The number of households in the US
with incomes below $2 a day as doubled in recent
years making it one of the most unequal countries
in the world in terms of its economy. The US’s
Gini-coefficient (which measures inequality) is at
45.0 which is higher than both Russia and China.
This along with China’s continued prosperity mean
that perhaps American economic influence is under
threat.
Overall, it is clear that the US is hugely influential
in terms of its economy. It has the world’s highest
GDP and has economic interests all over the world.
However, its dominance is under threat as a result
of the recent recession and increasing competition
from countries like China.
In addition, the US has huge military influence.
The US has the most powerful and well-funded
military in the world today. In 2012, the US spent
almost $700 billion on defence which is more than
Russia, China, the UK and several other powers
combined. This gives the US tremendous influence
as other countries are well aware of its military
prowess. The US has thousands of nuclear
warheads and the most sophisticated weaponry on
the planet. It is the leading member of NATO, the
world’s biggest and most influential military
alliance and has been involved in numerous
conflicts in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan
in recent years. The fact that the US was able to
invade Iraq without UN approval demonstrates its
international influence. It is unlikely that the then
President George Bush will ever face charges over
what many have described as an “illegal war”.
However, the US’s military influence is not
limitless. The US has in recent years tried to
prevent countries such as Iran and North Korea
from gaining nuclear weapons but it may have
failed in this regard. In addition, since leaving
Iraq after more than a decade, the region remains
extremely volatile. Furthermore, the US has faced
international condemnation because of its
continued drone strikes in countries such as
Pakistan. This suggests that perhaps the US
military is not all-powerful.
To sum up, the US has the world’s most powerful
military and this undoubtedly gives it huge
influence internationally, however it is clearly
limited in that it is not always able to realise its
aims.
Furthermore, the US’s involvement in various
international organisations is evidence of its
international influence. The US is one of the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council.
This gives the US the power to veto UN action on
issues and they have used this power on numerous
occasions. The US has repeatedly vetoed
resolutions condemning Israeli aggression towards
Palestinians and as a result the UN has not
stepped in in this region. The US is also heavily
involved with UN specialised agencies such as
WHO, UNICEF and UNESCO, as well as the IMF
and World Bank. In addition, the US is a member
of the G8 which highlights the fact that it is one
of the most powerful countries in the world. In
fact the US was able to influence other G8
members to have Russia removed from the group
(the group is now the G7) in response to its recent
actions in Crimea. The US’s membership, and
leadership, of the NATO alliance is further
evidence of its international influence. However, in
spite of being at the forefront of many
international organisations, it is arguable that it
does not have total power. Tensions between the
US and other countries, particularly Russia and
China, highlight that perhaps the US will not be
the world’s only superpower for much longer.
To sum up, the US’s membership of various
organisations including the UN, G8 and NATO
demonstrate its huge influence internationally.
Although it does face an increasing threat from
other potential superpowers, most notably Russia
and China.
Finally, US involvement in recent international
conflicts is evidence of its influence. The US
invasion of Iraq, unsanctioned by the UN, was an
example of the US exerting its power
internationally. In spite of strong opposition from
Russia and France, the US fought a war in the
region which led to thousands of civilian deaths.
The US has military bases all over the world and
has been involved in various other international
conflicts in recent years in countries including
Libya, Colombia and Pakistan. The US has
condemned Russia for what it sees as Russian
aggression in relation to Ukraine. It has imposed
some economic sanctions on Russia following the
annexation of Crimea. However, it was unable to
stop Russia from assisting pro-Russian rebels in
the region and the area remains very unstable. The
fact that the US is so heavily involved in the
affairs of other countries again demonstrates its
massive influence. However, perhaps its influence
is weakening as a result of international
condemnation of the Iraq War and drone strikes
in Pakistan. The US has also been heavily involved
in the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is a staunch ally of
Israel and whilst calling for peace in the region, it
recognises Israel’s right to defend itself from
what it sees as Palestinian aggression. Again
though, it could be argued that it may be losing
international credibility for its staunch support
for Israel. In addition, whilst it criticises human
rights abuses in other countries, it has close
trading links with countries (such as Saudi Arabia
and China) which Amnesty International sees as
having very poor human rights records. In
addition, there has been recent criticism of the
US’s alleged torture of prisoners during the Iraq
conflict.
To sum up, the US’s involvement in various
international conflicts underlines its influence,
although perhaps it has lost international
credibility recently.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the USA is a
country with huge international influence. It has a
strong economy and military, is a key member of
various international organisations and is heavily
involved in international conflicts and in the
affairs of other countries. However, perhaps its
influence has lessened as a result of the economic
recession and increasing international
condemnation of its military campaign in Iraq, as
well as on-going drone strikes in countries such as
Pakistan. Furthermore, the US’s claim to be the
world’s only superpower could be under threat as a
result of the growth of other world powers, most
notably China. Overall, the US is hugely influential
although its power may be declining.