AMERICA’S UNILATERAL SHIFT: THE EVOLUTION OF US FOREIGN POLICY FROM LIBERAL HEGEMONY TO A ROGUE SUPERPOWER

BADAWI Habib (Professor, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon), habib.badawi@ul.edu.lb

This study interrogates the profound metamorphosis of America’s international posture, tracing its trajectory from the architect of post-war liberal hegemony to its contemporary manifestation as what we term a “rogue superpower”. This paradoxical condition is defined by the retention of preeminent material capabilities alongside a growing disregard for the very institutional and normative frameworks it once established. To unravel this complex shift, the research constructs an innovative Integrated Multi-Paradigm Framework, synthesising the analytical strengths of neorealist power transition theory, neoclassical realism, liberal institutionalism, and constructivism. This multifaceted lens is applied to a rigorous analysis of primary documents, policy declarations, and empirical data, revealing that America’s unilateral turn is not an ephemeral political phenomenon but a structural realignment. It is propelled by the confluence of systemic forces – relative power diffusion, demographic asymmetries, and technological disruption, and potent domestic currents, economic fragmentation, political polarisation, and evolving national identity narratives. By moving beyond monocausal explanations, this study offers a comprehensive toolkit for scholars and policymakers alike to navigate the contours of global realignment in an emerging post-hegemonic era.

Keywords: Foreign policy transformation; institutional decay; liberal international order; power transition; strategic realignment; unilateralism; weaponised interdependence