America, as the lone remaining world superpower since the dramatic fall of the Soviet Union, has always debated how to play its new role on the world stage.
New President George W. Bush is questioning how America will adapt to its new situation; he has turned to various think tanks of academics for assistance as he refines his vision of America's role in the world over the next four years.
The New York Times noted that a report, which will be issued by the Woodrow Wilson Center's Working Group on Hegemony later this year may greatly influence the new president's discussions of American foreign policy.
Dartmouth Government Professor William Wohlforth has met frequently with this group of approximately 16 academics at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. regularly over the last two years. The group has pondered America's recently established dominance over other nations.
According to Wohlforth, the United States alone has dominated international relations since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Policymakers therefore ought to think about how long this unique situation will last, and how to face possible problems that may arise, he said, noting that the arrival of a new presidential administration marks an opportune moment to reflect on current foreign policy strategy.
Bush has ordered a review of American military strategy and adminstration policymakers have expressed interest in the Working Group on Hegemony's findings, which will be released in a report later this year.
Wohlforth believes that America will retain its dominant position for at least the next several decades.
Its lead will last, he said, partly because of the magnitude of its current dominance.
Also, geography favors the United States: most of its would-be rivals are clustered close together in Europe or Asia, while the United States is in a relatively isolated position in North America.
Conflicts will naturally arise among such nations as they compete with neighboring states, whereas America need not worry so much about struggles with its neighbors, he said.
Wohlforth said that policymakers should understand that, because of America's dominant position, America is in an excellent position to take risks abroad for peace.
For example, he said that, if engaging China in combat became necessary, America could probably do so without worrying about an undue loss of status.
Likewise, America should stay involved in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and should take risks to assure peace for other nations.
Wohlforth was ambivalent about whether it is good that the United States is currently so powerful.
While the situation is neither just or fair for other nations, Wohlforth said there is relatively little that the United States can do about that, suggesting that such is the nature of international relations, he said.
But with international relations more peaceful under a single-superpower system, he doubted that many people would like to see a return to the tense relations between two superpowers that characterized the Cold War years.
