Declining United States Leadership and the Future of International Political System

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been a major player in promoting international peace and security. Today the declining US leadership has raised some questions such as: What are the factors that led to the decline of US leadership internationally? How did the US react to its dwindling leadership role? Are the current US strategies for regaining leadership in international politics effective? Therefore, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: Is declining US leadership a potential threat to international peace and security? How effective are the current US strategies in regaining leadership in international politics? The long cycle theory was used in this study. The study also relied on secondary data such as textbooks, magazines and internet sources, while content analysis was used to analyze the data collected. This study argues that the declining US leadership role poses a potential threat to the future of the international system, as no state like no other is willing to provide the financial and other resources necessary to meet global challenges for years to come, compared to the US's overall commitment to promoting international peace and security. Finally, this study regards the current US approaches as ineffective and therefore advocates new approaches.   Received: 23 June 2023 / Accepted: 29 August 2023 / Published: 5 September 2023