INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE OF THE USA

REVISION NOTES
PARAGRAPH 1: Economic Power
• The US 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 $20.4
trillion.
• Overall, the global economy is worth an estimated $79.98 trillion, meaning the US
accounts for more than one-quarter of the world total. The massive wealth generated
by the US gives it huge international influence.
• 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 such as China.
• Total debt in the USA is over $50 trillion. 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 increasing wealth, they are the world’s second largest
economy, means that American economic influence is under threat
• In July 2018 Trump announced a 25% tariff on $16 billion worth of Chinese exports to
the US, adding to the $34 billion worth of Chinese goods already subject to tariffs.
• Trump has also threatened that every item from the country could eventually be subject
to tariffs.
PARAGRAPH 2: Military Power
• The US has the most powerful and well-funded military in the world. In 2012, US spent
almost $700 billion on defence which is more than Russia, China and UK combined.
• This gives the US tremendous influence as other countries are well aware of its military
prowess.
• The US has the most stockpiled nuclear weapons and the most sophisticated
weaponry on the planet such as the MQ9 Reaper Drone.
• The US supports rivals of China in the Far East. The US provides Taiwan with modern
military hardware, has troops in South Korea and Japan as well as having 4 aircraft
carriers based in the Pacific.
• 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 and it has failed in this regard.
• Trump broke off America’s nuclear non-proliferation deal with Iran which had been
agreed with former President Barack Obama. He has restored economic sanctions on
Iran which will have an impact on the lives of Iranian citizens and will, undoubtedly,
raise tensions in the middle-east.
• Furthermore, the US has faced international condemnation because of its continued
use of drone strikes in Pakistan.
PARAGRAPH 3: Involvement in International Organisations
• The US is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. They have
the ‘permanent veto’ – the ability to reject any resolution no matter its level of support.
• This gives them enormous power, which the USA often uses to penalise one of its main
enemies, North Korea. In 2016, the UN, with America’s backing, placed economic
sanctions on North Korea and condemned them as a ‘clear threat to international
peace and security’ after they had tested a long-range rocket and a nuclear bomb in
violation of existing sanctions.
 •That the US can contribute to isolating North Korea economically shows its influence
within the UN.
• However the US is not the only country with a permanent veto, and that often it will
support resolutions which are then vetoed by the other 4. In 2014 the USA voted for a
resolution to condemn ‘widespread violation’ of international law and human rights by
Syria, but this was vetoed by both Russia and China.
• This shows that although US wields significant power, it does not always get its way
and reminds us that there are other world powers, sometimes enemies of the US, who
are also powerful.
• The USA is a founder member of NATO in 1949. It is the leading power within NATO,
supplying the most finance and the most troops.
• The US dominates NATO although there are 28 members who should be equal
• The USA played a lead role in NATO’s bombing of Libya in 2011 to remove their leader
Colonel Gaddafi, a US enemy.
• However NATO’s 28 members have equal voting rights and there must be unanimous
agreement before action can be taken. However, this does not always stop the USA
which has the capacity to act unilaterally.
• Trump has threatened to withdraw the USA from NATO as he believes the USA pays
too much
• Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have promised to work towards "new
relations". North Korea reaffirmed its commitment to the "de-nuclearisation of the
Korean peninsula", while the US said it would stop "provocative" war games.
• In spite of being at the forefront of many international organisations.
• China has entered the space race and is increasing its influence in Africa.
• China has also built an airstrip and is developing a deep water naval base on Spratly
Island to exert influence in the South China Sea.
• Tensions between the US and Russia and China, highlight that perhaps the US will not
be the world’s only superpower for much longer.
PARAGRAPH 4: US involvement in recent International Conflicts
• 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 and Pakistan.
• The US has condemned Russia for Russian aggression in relation to Ukraine.
• It has imposed 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.
• Trump has also escalated U.S. military involvement in non-battlefield settings —
namely Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. Quintupled the number, conducting at least 92
such operations in Yemen, seven in Somalia, and four in Pakistan.
• The fact that the US is so heavily involved in the affairs of other countries again
demonstrates its massive influence.
• In 2014, the US, with allies such as the UK, France and Saudi Arabia, launched air
strikes on Syria to target Islamic State militants, again showing their ability to lead
military operations and to persuade other countries to support them, often in return for
diplomatic, financial and military support.
• However, perhaps its influence is weakening as a result of international condemnation
of drone strikes in Pakistan and its close trading links with countries such as Saudi
Arabia which Amnesty International sees as having very poor human rights records.