The rise of the US as a hegemonic power during the twentieth century first pursuing a liberal project of globalization under Clinton and then moving towards greater unilateralism after the election of George W. Bush, is comprehensively described in this much-needed study. Following the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration became increasingly unpopular at home and abroad. America's power to impose its will declined and rivals were able to take advantage of its weakened state and pursue their own agendas with considerable success. This indispensable book looks at whether policy failure in Iraq and declining US soft and hard power mark the beginning of the end of US hegemony or whether the resilience of America's military and economic foundations will once again prove observers wrong.

The emergence of the People's Republic of China on the world scene constitutes the most significant event in world politics since the end of World War II. As the world's predominant political, economic, and military power, the United States faces a particularly significant challenge in responding to China's rising power and influence, especially in Asia. Offering a fresh perspective on current and future U.S. policy toward China, Michael Swaine examines the basic interests and beliefs behind U.S.-China relations, recent U.S. and Chinese policy practices in seven key areas, and future trends most likely to affect U.S. policy. American leaders, he concludes, must reexamine certain basic assumptions and approaches regarding America's position in the Western Pacific, integrate China policy more effectively into a broader Asian strategy, and recalibrate the U.S. balance between cooperative engagement and deterrence toward Beijing.

Will China–U.S. relations come back to the normal track? Does the confrontational approach work for China–US relations? This book argues that it is an unrealistic hope to bring China–US relations back to the so-called normal track because the great power competition will be a new normal of China–US relations and the USA will gain more from strategic competition than cooperation in the long run. This book shows that the strategy of “great power cooperation through competition” is more positive and constructive than the approaches of “peaceful coexist” and “maximum pressure.” This book does not intend to provide policy recommendations for governments to consider, but mainly to explain why the great power competition is inevitable and why it is necessary to continuously work with China in some areas through strategic competition. This book alarms the importance of understanding the nature of the Chinese Communist Party during the great power competition and aims to motivate both sides to revisit their foreign policy practice and come up with a better foreign policy strategy of handling China–US relations.

This book discusses the development of Canadian political economy through the legacy of Stephen Clarkson, who for over 40 years analyzed the challenges that economic changes brought to the economic governance of Canada, North America, and the world. Tracing the main themes of Clarkson scholarship, it explores in four sections how changes in the global economy, such as regional and inter-regional trade agreements, impact the political economy of Canada and North America, the focus of most of Clarkson’s works, without leaving aside the rest of the world. The book is divided in four main sections that correspond to Clarkson’s scholarly contributions. The epilogue takes a personal tone and presents how the legacy of Stephen Clarkson serves as an inspiration for scholars facing a different world.

This book offers a comprehensive, detailed account of the bilateral economic assistance of six major donor nations-the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, and China-to the nations of Latin America. Focus is placed on assistance that is structured to meet basic human needs, enhance social equity, promote economic growth, preserve natural environments, and support political reform. It thus offers a basic foundation for understanding the nature, impact, and motivations of such assistance to Latin America. This study also offers a series of recommendations for reforming economic assistance to Latin America, with emphasis placed on improving the design, implementation, and oversight of development projects, enhancing coordination among aid institutions, ensuring local control and ownership of the development process, and empowering poor communities. When the poor are active participants in improving their communities, they gain the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to meet their own needs on a long-term basis. Since economic assistance will continue to be a major component of the foreign policies of donor states, it will be important to ensure that such assistance genuinely contributes to positive, meaningful, and lasting change in the region. Bilateral Aid to Latin America is an important volume for university libraries and research institutes. It will augment collections that focus on Latin America, international development, and economic assistance. The book would also be relevant for scholars and practitioners of Latin American development, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses on Latin America and international political economy.