Measuring the Health of the Liberal International Order
Abstract
As part of a larger study on the future of the postWorld War II liberal international order, RAND researchers analyze the health of the existing order and offer implications for future U.S. policy. Todays order includes a complex mix of formal global institutions, such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization; bilateral and regional security organizations; and liberal political norms. To evaluate the health of the existing order, the researchers examined several categories of indicators, including both inputs (such as state participation in and attitudes toward order) and outcomes that reflect the orders primary objectives (such as economic liberalization and interdependence, peace among great powers, and adherence to the orders norms). Across numerous variables, the analysis demonstrates an impressive degree of stabilityand, in many cases, steady progressin the international order since 1945 and especially since the mid-1980s. However, the recent global populist upsurge is placing the popular consensus on key elements of the order in jeopardy. These elements include the desirability of open markets and open borders, the value of multilateral solutions, and the very notion of the rule of law. The studys overall conclusion is that the postwar order continues to enjoy many elements of stability but is increasingly threatened by major geopolitical and domestic socioeconomic trends that are calling into question the orders fundamental assumptions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1057220
Entities
People
- Alexander D. Rothenberg
- Andrew Radin
- Astrid S. Cevallos
- Jordan Willcox
- Julia A. Thompson
- Kathleen Reedy
- Michael J. Mazarr
- Miranda Priebe
Organizations
- RAND Corporation