4 of 6

Write now Article Tools

With a 13 trillion dollar economy, the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, a GDP that nearly doubles the next highest nation, and a defense budget that is greater than all others in the world combined, it is would be an understatement to say that the United States has a great deal of influence on the world stage. But with the growth of the United Nations and the increasing voice on the world stage for some of the smallest nations of the world, the power and voice of the United States is shrinking at an alarming rate. Furthermore, the United States has recently pushed away from the policies and insistence of the United Nations, demonstrating its own power but weakening international support from the UN in foreign affairs (most notably with the invasion of Iraq). Because of all this, the United Nations and the role that the United States' should play in this world discussion has become a divisive issue and an ever-increasingly important topic of debate in America's own political arena.

After the Allied Victory in World War II, the United Nations was created to replace the original "League of Nations", which many had deemed useless because of its inability to prevent World War II. The United States, because of its role in the war, became one of the permanent members of the Security Council, which also included the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, among others.

Shortly after World War II, tension began to rise between the United States and the Soviet Union, the most powerful members of the Security Council. Along with this, conflict arose over the inclusion of the Republic of China, China's US friendly government, instead of the People's Republic of China, the communist state. The power struggle between the United States and the communist world became very real with the United Nations sanctioned Korean War. The fact that one nation's agenda could move the United Nations to war only exemplifies the power the United States held on the world stage. We see this happened again in 1991, when the United States convinced the entire security council to authorize the use of force against Iraq when it invaded Kuwait.

Soon after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States quickly became the single most powerful nation in the world in terms of defense budget and economic development. The United Nations was never designed for one nation to be so overwhelmingly influential and powerful and as a result many nations saw the UN as a vehicle to curb US efforts in the world

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The role and influence of the US in the United Nations?
We want to hear your view. Write now!