By David P. Calleo
Both Europe and America present the world with a model for democratic government on a continental scale. Europe’s model is comparatively recent—with only a half century of history. America’s model has been evolving for over two centuries. Both are likely to play a major role in determining how the world organizes itself over the next 25 years. But the two models and their likely global roles differ greatly, and their implications for how the rest of the world develops are also likely to be very different.
Whereas Europe’s model has a comparatively weak central power—more confederal than federal—the American experiment, since its nineteenth century Civil War, has internally grown increasingly centralized. Compared to the member states of the European Union, America’s states are much more restricted in their powers and budgets. The federal budget dwarfs them all and reflects where real power lies. In short, America’s continental model is not one where unity appears to have been bought at the expense of centralized power. On the contrary, America’s federal center has by now accumulated colossal military and economic might, unmatched by any other government around the world. Given this force, it is not surprising that the United States has developed a vocation for global management,which by now has become an integral part of America’s identity as a nation. Continue Reading…
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