American Decline

Question 1

What were the elements to Obamas Pivot to Asia?

Answer 1

Diplomatic - Members of Obamas administration visiting countries near the South China sea
Security/defense - expanding military presence in the area
Economic - -TransPacific Partnership used to combat Chinese economic influence

Question 2

Who pulled out of TPP and what did they replace it with?

Answer 2

Trump, New strategy of a “Free” Indo pacific that involved:

• ensuring open sea lines of communication and open airways
• assisting the region with infrastructure projects
• regional states are free from coercion
• a key focus on India

Question 3

What is the belt and road Initiative?

Answer 3

Chinas infrastructure project to ensure their central place in global trade

Question 4

Who is the Quad and what is their Purpose?

Answer 4

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security alliance between the US, Australia, India, and Japan with a broad agenda of shared concerns that includes Chinese assertiveness, security, economic, and health issues.

Question 5

Who are the BRIC countries and why are they important?

Answer 5

Brazil, Russia, India, China - rising competitors to the US

Question 6

What is the U.S.-U.K.-Australia Defense Partnership?

Answer 6

A trilateral initiative entered during the Biden presidency that allows greater collaboration and strategic focus without the
complexities of large coalitions?

Question 7

When did the debate over American decline start

Answer 7

During the Bush Administration following 9/11

Question 8

What did interves with Obama in 2008 reflect regarding American decline

Answer 8

• Before election
  o Is to try to bring back the kind of foreign policy that characterized the Truman administration with Marshal and Acheson and Kennan, but also characterized, to a large degree, the first President Bush with people like Scowcroft and Powell and Baker.
   Interesting because two different administrations and two different time periods
  • What do these two administrations have in common
  o They both occur at the end of turbulante time periods
  o Shifts from multipolar to bilateral and from bilateral to unipolar
  • What Obama is referring to is that we are in the process of another power shift
  o Understand the decline of America, the era of primacy is over, how do we move forward
• After election
  o China is going to be one of the dominant economies
  o We have to engage china and help engage the rules of the world
  o We need to show leadership through consensus and through pulling people together the best we can

Question 9

What was China’s extent when considering expanding their sphere of influence and reach

Answer 9

First and Second Island Chain blocks
- China wants to expand for anti access and area denial
o First Island chain
 Building up air capabilities and intermediate missile launch sites
 They want to be able to deny any power access into the region there
 Basically a claim that that they own the south china sea
o Second island chain
 Upper Japan to Guam
 deny access to the first island chain, essentially making it difficult to move into the 1st chain
 do they have capability to strike aircraft carriers
- Building up air capabilities