Worrying about American decline is the Halley’s comet of political commentary, always orbiting and returning. Yet concerns over America’s standing compared to the Soviet Union or the Japanese economy have evolved into more amorphous challenges: China, climate change, imperial overstretch and domestic polarisation.
The Economist aimed to explore these issues with a By-invitation series on the future of American power, which ran from August to October. We sought a wide spectrum of thinkers who rarely appear in the same company, from Henry Kissinger on the right to Noam Chomsky on the left; from the Indian novelist Arundhati Roy to the political philosopher Francis Fukuyama.
Strikingly, few contributors embraced outright declinism—the views were nuanced. Though America faces domestic divisions and is no longer the unchallenged hegemon it was 25 years ago, most contributors believe it remains strong enough to project power globally. But that will change if America fails to overcome its internal problems. We invite you to read, consider their views and share your own on social media. |