This volume explores the development of the United States' alliances from the American perspective, as well as that of its most important allies - Britain, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and the Gulf States.

The global system of alliances that the United States built after the Second World War underpinned the stability and prosperity of the postwar order. But during the 20th century, the multilateral NATO alliance system in Europe and the bilateral San Francisco alliance system in Asia rarely interacted. This changed in the early 21st century, as US allies came together to fight and stabilise conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia. This volume presents the first-ever comparative study of US alliances in Europe and Asia from the perspectives of US allies: the challenges, opportunities and shifting dynamics of these fundamental pillars of order. This volume is essential reading for those interested in contemporary and future regional and global security dynamics.

Helps students reflect on global changes, assess national priorities, and decide for themselves the future role of U.S. policy.

How do America’s democratic allies perceive and respond to a relative decline in US power and influence and the simultaneous rise of China? Using the case-studies of Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and South East Asian countries, this book offers a broad assessment of the perceptions of threat and the strategies used by these allies to cope with the relative decline of America’s hegemonic power, the rise of China and the transforming world order. In answering these central questions, contributors focus on two complementary analytical approaches. The first examines the perceptions of systemic changes by America’s allies: how are US allies framing this issue and what kind of political discourse is emerging with regards to it? The second approach focuses on the concrete foreign policy and defence strategies put forward by these allies. The book explores the extent to which US allies are willing to support US hegemony and considers the democratic allies’ understanding of the international structure, their relations to the United States, and their own aspirations in this changing world order. This book will be of interest to general readers as well as scholars and students of US foreign policy, foreign policy analysis and International Relations.

The global system of alliances that the United States built after the Second World War underpinned the stability and prosperity of the postwar order. But during the 20th century, the multilateral NATO alliance system in Europe and the bilateral San Francisco alliance system in Asia rarely interacted. This changed in the early 21st century, as US allies came together to fight and stabilise conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia. This volume presents the first-ever comparative study of US alliances in Europe and Asia from the perspectives of US allies: the challenges, opportunities and shifting dynamics of these fundamental pillars of order. This volume is essential reading for those interested in contemporary and future regional and global security dynamics.

The international relations of the United States has changed radically from what had been U.S. foreign policy for decades under presidents from both major political parties. Those were times in which people around the world could count on Presidents of the United States to treat the U.S.A.'s friends as friends and adversaries as adversaries.The book makes no predictions other than the obvious: on January the 20th of 2013 there will be an inaugural ceremony above the west steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. It might be the Second Inaugural of Barack Obama or it might be the First Inaugural of someone else. Either way, that elected leader will be a War-Time President.

This volume reviews the past fifty years of the U.S.-Japan relationship and speculates about how it will evolve in the years to come.