American hegemony? Perceptions of the US abroad

Abstract

Foreign perceptions of the US are varied and, to a large extent, incompatible in logical terms. They include a US intent on minding what it sees as its own business; the dark, satanic US of the Islamic conspiracy theorists who see deliberate purpose in everything America does (or indeed, does not do); a unilateralist and anti-status quo power which has made military force its tool of choice; and the US as keystone and ultimate guarantor of what measure of international order may exist. In part, this diversity of views flows from the multi-dimensional nature of the US. In part, it has to do with the foreign beholders themselves - who all too often combine the reality of ignorance with the belief that they know a lot about the US. Although such confusion and misperceptions are understandable, their costs can be high. Accurate perceptions are the key to the successful conduct of foreign and security policy, and this naturally applies to relations between the world's most powerful nation and its allies, partners and rivals.