ABSTRACT
Hegemony is a recurrent feature of regionalism, contributing to polarisation and resource imbalances. This chapter explores challenges to US interests associated with the new regionalism. To refurbish hegemony after the Cold War, and to overcome the challenges of globalisation, the United States seeks to institutionalize the neoliberal idea that the basic building blocks of order are individuals rather than economic or social structures. With respect to military-strategic security in the current global setting, US foreign policy is generally moving away from regionalism, with the partial exception of Europe. Historically, the United States has experimented with various initiatives to build hegemony in Latin America dating to the Monroe Doctrine in the nineteenth century, while establishing strong historical, military, trading, and cultural ties. In sum, in an effort to sustain hegemony, the United States, as the hub power, has attempted to radiate a series of regional spokes, all within the wheel of neoliberalism.
