Originally published on the CGS blog on June 18, 2009.
In a recent Foreign Affairs article written by Dartmouth Government Professors Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, the U.S. is named as the nation with the ability and the need to cooperate with other nations and reform international institutions in a way that would be mutually beneficial for America and the world. The article, called Reshaping the World Order, describes how current international institutions such as the U.N. must be updated to become consistent with modern times or face the prospect of becoming obsolete. Professors Brooks and Wohlforth lay out the reasons why accomplishing this are very much in America’s strategic interest and how the U.S. remains the one nation with the ability to lead reform of the world order.
The authors point out that America’s economic and national security interests are served by cooperating with foreign allies and international institutions. Brooks and Wohlforth point to the IAEA as one example, showing that through this vital organization, the United States is able to monitor developing nuclear programs, but at the same time is not required to expend an enormous amount of resources in order to do so.
In order to make further use of these international institutions though, America must spearhead reform of these organizations to ensure their continued value. Brooks and Wohlforth show that despite recent history, America still possesses the power and legitimacy to achieve this. They propose that America take the lead and engage the world to develop reforms for these organizations that are mutually beneficial to all.
