Robert kagan the world america made

2012 book by Robert Kagan

The World America Made is a 2012 non-fiction book written by Robert Kagan. In it, Kagan argues against the retreat of the United States as the global superpower and suggests that maintaining the current American-led world order is good for democracy around the world.

The book influenced President Barack Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address.^[1]

Content

The book argues against a declinist view of American global influence, despite the financial crisis of 2007–08 and the rise of China.

Kagan compares the hypothesis of America's retreat as the world's superpower to the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, where the main character decides not to commit suicide after realizing how significant his contributions have been to the well-being of the world around him.^[2]

Kagan posits that "political and economic freedom combined with military strength as the foundation of the enduring American power" led to a "th