US Foreign Policy and Global Standing in the 21st Century ─ Realities and Perceptions

This book analyzes the impact of US foreign policy under Obama on strategic and political developments in a several regions. Perceptions towards the US in China, Korea, Russia, India, Latin America and particularly in the Middle East are all investigated.

The United States is the most powerful actor in world politics. In order to understand both the current international system and the future directions it may take, it is therefore critical to understand America’s capabilities and intentions. For this reason, both its friends and its foes constantly assess America’s standing. In turn, their perceptions of America’s standing play a major role in informing their own foreign policies. At present, it seems that there is a growing convergence of views that the United States’ standing is declining under President Obama. This perception of decline is then likely to feedback into the international system, with consequences for America’s own position.

There have been a number of books addressing the question of which grand strategy the U.S should adopt and the issue of whether or not America is in relative decline as a world power. Many of the works addressing these issues focused on the question of whether assertive military interventions under the George W. Bush administration was hastening America’s decline and generating hatred of America. Indeed, the whole debate on American grand strategy, American decline and anti-Americanism was set against the policies of the George W, Bush administration. In contrast, in recent years it is the Obama’s administration’slack of assertiveness in its foreign policy that is raising questions concerning America’s credibility as an ally and great power. This volume also stands out by virtue of the fact that it will examine America’s standing from the perspective of different actors across various regions, while also assessing how these perceptions interact with America’s own policies.

This book will be of much interest to students of US foreign policy, US national security, strategic studies, Middle Eastern politics, international relations and security studies generally.

Efraim Inbar is a Professor in Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University and the Director of its Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies, Israel. He has authored four books and edited several collections of articles.Jonathan Rynhold is Director of the Argov Center for Israle and the Jewish People, Department of Political Studies, at Bar-Ilan University, Israel.