A Finely Fractured Consensus: American Motivations for RulesBased Order

The American political scientist Francis Fukuyama put forth his well-known "end of history" thesis concerning the inevitability of Western liberal democracy and the universalization of democratic values worldwide, anchored by an American-led international order - one which is more commonly known as the liberal international order. Ongoing geopolitical tensions in Europe and Asia have once again spotlighted the role of the US as an indispensable global power in mitigating threats to international conflict. This could present an opportunity for Washington to once again cement its claims to global leadership, provided it is able to get its own house in order. More crucially, it is as yet unclear what kind of future international order would emerge as a result of the conflict, and what the role of the US will be.