Management of the Liberal International Order

Abstract

This chapter assesses the management of the liberal international order from World War II until the present day and trends in global democracy. It argues that liberal hegemony as a foreign policy was not successful due to issues related to universalism and national particularism. U.S. interventionism abroad was destabilizing and contributed to the souring of relations with non-Western powers such as Russia and China. Neoliberal economic policy prescriptions also had unintended consequences and exacerbated populism and political polarization. Internationally, civilizational nationalism and nationalism more broadly have become increasingly noticeable in political discourse as nations aim to enforce their uniqueness in a hyper-globalized world. The rise of China and Russia today influences global norms by presenting alternative normative frameworks to liberal universalism.