Are we in a post-unipolar world?
According to Emma Ashford, the answer is yes—even if we can’t be sure what comes next. In her new book, First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World, Ashford makes the case for what she calls “realist internationalism,” a decidedly less ambitious foreign policy tailored for a world in which the United States is still the biggest player, but no longer an overly dominant one.
“I call it realist internationalism,” Ashford said, speaking on FP Live, “but it is a fundamentally nationalist philosophy. It is a fairly middle-of-the-road, ecumenical, realist understanding of narrow U.S. interests. Unlike the very ambitious, transformative goals we pursued in the unipolar moment, this is a U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes national interests and the prosperity and security of Americans here at home.”
“If the U.S. is to be successful in this multipolar world, then it needs to empower its allies. So this is burden-shifting, burden-sharing, to try to even the stakes. Rather than trying to build a unified global alliance against China and Russia, the U.S. could empower its allies to build their own capabilities. And in doing so, increase the diversity of at least somewhat friendly states around the world. For me, this is about a strategy of adapting to a multipolar world and trying to make it work for us.”
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