American Prestige Bonus - The Era of Great Power Competition w/ Stacie Goddard (Preview)
Jul 27, 2025
A fascinating discussion unfolds around the dynamics of great power competition, highlighting the shift from liberal hegemony to a multipolar world. Stacie Goddard breaks down the historical context, including the legacy of the Concert of Europe and the implications of U.S. policy under Trump and Biden. The podcast explores how perceptions of great powers, like China and Russia, continue to evolve and stresses the need for a nuanced understanding of competition versus collusion in international relations. Key themes include financialized capitalism and the challenges faced by declining societies.
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Trump's Unique Global Strategy
- Trump's administration represented a shift away from traditional great power competition.
- The world under Trump resembled more of a concert system based on collusion than competition.
Defining Great Powers Is Complex
- The definition of a great power is not fixed and includes both objective and subjective criteria.
- Status perceptions and historical artifacts play a key role in defining great powers like France.
Current Great Power Landscape
- The US remains a hegemon but its dominance is rapidly declining.
- China and Russia are major players but not full peer competitors yet, while the EU is a latent great power.