The Future of Multilateralism is on the Ballot
from The Internationalist and International Institutions and Global Governance Program

The Future of Multilateralism is on the Ballot

A Biden triumph would repudiate the “America First” platform, but can it overcome the lasting damage Trump has done to America’s standing and credibility?
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks to reporters upon his departure from Hagerstown, Maryland after to a campaign event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on October 6, 2020.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks to reporters upon his departure from Hagerstown, Maryland after to a campaign event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on October 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

In my weekly column for World Politics Review, I examine the major implications of a Biden presidential election win for global cooperation on climate change, global health, nuclear nonproliferation, global trade, human rights, and a rules-based international order. 

Should Joe Biden win the American presidency on Nov. 3, the world will experience whiplash, as the United States performs a second about-face in its posture toward multilateralism in only four years. Although the U.S. has oscillated through cycles of internationalism and isolationism before, it has never executed such a swift and dramatic double-reverse. A Biden triumph would repudiate the “America First” platform on which Donald Trump won the White House in 2016, and the hyper-nationalist, unilateralist and sovereigntist mindset that undergirds it. Such a stunning shift in America’s global orientation would have major implications for global cooperation on everything from climate change, health and nuclear proliferation to trade and human rights, as well as for U.S. relations with its Western allies.

More on:

Election 2020

Joe Biden

Climate Change

Health

Human Rights

Read the full World Politics Review article here.

More on:

Election 2020

Joe Biden

Climate Change

Health

Human Rights

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