The Paradox of a Global USA [Hardcover]

The Paradox of a Global USAdescribes the vexed relationship between the United States and globalization. On the one hand, the U.S. has vociferously promoted modernization and open markets, both central components of the process of globalization. On the other hand, it appears to be resolutely determined not to live within an institutional framework of globalized authority. As the world's only superpower, the United States is often perceived as championing its own narrow national sovereigntyfor example, by opposing the Kyoto Protocol and the International Criminal Court, and by taking action in Iraq outside the auspices of the UN.The book treats the paradox of American exceptionalism and globalization as a local happening within the broader process of globalization. These essays analyze the ways in which the USA has both played a role in, and reacted against, emerging present-day globalization.Examples are drawn from the fields of history, political science, cultural studies, and economics, making this collection one of the very few to link together so diverse a group of authors and approaches to the subject of global USA.A uniquely diverse collection of essays on the global reach of American power, institutions and culture from the 19th century to the present day.Globalization is, in itself, neither a positive nor a negative phenomenon; it is a reality, a defining aspect of the modern condition. . . . Therefore, what is at issue is not whether we should support or oppose globalization but how we should respond to it as a reality, how we manage it and its consequences. It is that spirit that led Bruce Mazlish, one of the giants of intellectual and cultural history, and his fellow contributors to assemble this volume. They have provided a considerableand timelyservice in helping to integrate a field of academic inquiry that has tended to be balkanized. . . . The result is a disciplined yet imaginative volume relevant to scholars, policy makers, and intelÓÓ