Is the Usa Still a Hegemon
Since the end of the cold war it has been suggested that a unipolar world order has emerged in which the USA acts as the world’s hegemonic power. A superpower is a state which dominates in four axes; politically, military, economy and culturally and has hegemonic power. Hegemony is leadership or dominance by one single state.
The USA is a superpower because it is a strong capitalist federation which has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. It also holds very strong ties with Western Europe and the Commonwealth countries. Another factor which makes the USA a superpower is geographically. The USA is the third largest country in the world with an area of 9.37million km2. Also the USA has a strong cultural influence throughout the world in music, art, film, literature and fashion. The USA has the largest military force in the world. They have the largest navy which is bigger than the next 13 navies combined and an armed force which is unrivalled by anyone else in the world which possesses bases in 132 countries out of a possible 196 countries. And also has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The USA also has the largest economy in the world. Its nominal GDP was estimated to be over $15 trillion in 2011, approximately a quarter of nominal global GDP. Its GDP at purchasing power parity is the largest in the world.
All of these factors show us why the USA is the only superpower in the world or in some peoples view a ‘hyperpower’ and this claim can be defended in many ways. The strongest basis for why the USA is still a superpower is there huge and forever expanding military resources over the rest of the world. The US army is one of the largest militaries in the world in terms of personnel. In 2012 they spent $711.0bn on expenditure for their military which is 5 times more than China who spends the second highest amount. They have 41% of the world’s military spending. With all the military power they have available to them the US has been able
The USA is a superpower because it is a strong capitalist federation which has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. It also holds very strong ties with Western Europe and the Commonwealth countries. Another factor which makes the USA a superpower is geographically. The USA is the third largest country in the world with an area of 9.37million km2. Also the USA has a strong cultural influence throughout the world in music, art, film, literature and fashion. The USA has the largest military force in the world. They have the largest navy which is bigger than the next 13 navies combined and an armed force which is unrivalled by anyone else in the world which possesses bases in 132 countries out of a possible 196 countries. And also has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The USA also has the largest economy in the world. Its nominal GDP was estimated to be over $15 trillion in 2011, approximately a quarter of nominal global GDP. Its GDP at purchasing power parity is the largest in the world.
All of these factors show us why the USA is the only superpower in the world or in some peoples view a ‘hyperpower’ and this claim can be defended in many ways. The strongest basis for why the USA is still a superpower is there huge and forever expanding military resources over the rest of the world. The US army is one of the largest militaries in the world in terms of personnel. In 2012 they spent $711.0bn on expenditure for their military which is 5 times more than China who spends the second highest amount. They have 41% of the world’s military spending. With all the military power they have available to them the US has been able