ABSTRACT
Paul Kennedy wrote The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers as a work of history, spanning the period from 1500 to the latter half of the twentieth century. But for Americans concerned with national decline, it remains most relevant as a work of political science. Kennedy said that dominant countries face dilemmas as they decline, specifically, a reduction in economic strength and growing strategic commitments abroad. The global dominance of the United States allows the country to serve the common good in many important ways. The US Navy secures sea lanes. The US dollar serves as the world’s reserve currency. The American political scientist Barry Posen wrote a companion piece to “Lean Forward,” entitled “Pull Back.” Posen agrees with Kennedy that the United States should have fewer global entanglements. While the US undertakes drawn-out occupations of failed states and maintains security agreements with Taiwan, Japan, and Europe, other states fail to shoulder the burden of global security.
