The new world order, 2017

Washington

ONE insistent question that will shape 2017 is whether we're witnessing the gradual decay of the post-World War II international order, dominated by the economic and military power of the United States.

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, it became fashionable to talk of the US as the only true superpower. Pax Americana would promote peace and prosperity. Globalisation and trade would bind countries together. The American economic and political model, mixing markets and government oversight, would be emulated. Higher living standards would bolster democratic ideas and institutions.