A groundbreaking look at the future of great power competition in an age of globalization and what the United States can do in response.
The two decades after the Cold War saw unprecedented cooperation between the major powers as the world converged on a model of liberal international order. Now, great power competition is back and the liberal order is in jeopardy. Russia and China are increasingly revisionist in their regions. The Middle East appears to be unraveling. And many Americans question why the United States ought to lead. What will great power competition look like in the decades ahead? Will the liberal world order survive? What impact will geopolitics have on globalization? And, what strategy should the United States pursue to succeed in an increasingly competitive world? In this book Thomas Wright explains how major powers will compete fiercely even as they try to avoid war with each other. Wright outlines a new American strategy – Responsible Competition – to navigate these challenges and strengthen the liberal order.
About the Author
Thomas J. Wright is a fellow and director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He lives in Washington, DC.
Reviews
"'All Measures Short of War' presents a clear-eyed analysis of the return of geopolitics, and points a way for US foreign policy to navigate this new landscape" – Francis Fukuyama, Senior Fellow, Stanford University, and author of "Political Order and Political Decay"
"Wright has written an important book at a critical time. The United States and its allies face rising threats in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe; the liberal international order has not confronted greater challenges for decades. Wright makes a considered, nuanced case for renewed U.S. international engagement and leadership" – Andrew Shearer, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former national security advisor to Prime Ministers Howard and Abbott of Australia
"In this important and timely book, Thomas Wright argues that great power convergence is in decline, and a new era of greater geopolitical competition is upon us, with profound implications for globalization, U.S. strategy, and international order" – Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush
"Wright is an incredibly perceptive observer of the global security order. In 'All Measures Short of War' he has provided the best account yet of the recurrence of great power competition and its implications for U.S. policymakers. I know of no better guide to the end of the Age of Obama and the emergence of the Era of Trump" – Eric S. Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Roger Herzog Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
"Contemplating a regressive future that resembles a past when great powers clashed and war was politics by other means, Wright advocates the concept of 'responsible competition' that harnesses globalization to maintain a cold peace in a dangerous world. Persuasive, important, and timely" – Strobe Talbott, former Deputy Secretary of State and author of "The Great Experiment"
"Wright is a rising star among global strategic thinkers, and this book shows why. 'All Measures Short of War' is a brilliant analysis of the current state of geopolitics, what has gone wrong, and what the US can and should do to continue playing its role as defender of a liberal world order. Essential reading for the new administration in Washington, and all who care about preserving a stable peace in an era of geopolitical rivalry" – Robert Kagan, author of "The World America Made"
