Hegemony, institutionalism and US foreign policy: theory and practice in comparative historical perspective

This paper explores the theoretical and policy implications of contemporary American hegemony. A key argument of the paper is that the development of American hegemony generally, and the distinctive turn in American foreign policy that has occurred in the wake of September 11 in particular, can best be understood by placing recent events in a comparative and historical framework. The immediate post-World War II order laid the foundation of a highly institutionalised multilateral system that provided key benefits for a number of countries whilst simultaneously constraining and enhancing American power. An historical reading of American hegemony suggests that its recent unilateralism is undermining the foundations of its power and influence.