The Rise of the American System - Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order - page 142

The Security Bargain
In the security bargain, the United States agreed to provide security protection and access
to American markets, technology, and resources within an open world economy. In return,
America's partners agreed to be reliable partners that would provide diplomatic, economic,
and logistical support for the United States as it led the wider order. As Charles de Gaulle
reluctantly noted at the time, “[c]onfronted with its present danger, the free world could do
nothing better, and nothing else, than adopt the 'leadership' of Washington.” 92 The security
bargain was most explicitly embedded in America's security alliances with Europe and East
Asia. In both regions, the United States acted in incremental steps to make security commit-
ments, station troops, and establish ongoing strategic partnerships.
The American provision of security was multifaceted. It was aimed in the first instance
at establishing security protection against threats that lay outside the American-led or-
der—principally threats from the communist world. But, as noted earlier, American security
presence in both Europe and East Asia was also aimed at providing assurance of stable rela-
tions among alliance partners. The American security commitment to Europe was in part to
facilitate the reconstruction and reintegration of West Germany into Europe and the Atlantic
area. The American security pact with Japan was also aimed in part at ensuring that Japan's
economic revival would take place without triggering destabilizing conflicts and rivalries
within the region. Japan's reemergence would take place within an American-led regional
security order. The American security presence in both regions helped solve security dilem-
mas—providing reassurance that German and Japanese militarism would not be revived and
thereby facilitating regional stability and cooperation. In return, Japan and Western European
countries would affiliate with the United States and act cooperatively to support its wider
global leadership position.
The security bargain also had an economic dimension. The United States would uphold
the rules and institutions of the world economy and promote economic integration; in return,
European and East Asian partners would again support the United States. Beyond this, the
United States also actively sought to integrate and promote the growth and stability of its
partners. In the initial years, the United States acted primarily to help revive the European
economies through Marshall Plan aid and, later, the expansion of trade and investment. It
used economic assistance and alliance commitment as leverage to encourage Europe-wide
economic integration. In this sense, the NATO pact should be seen as a continuation of the
Marshall Plan approach. The resulting European and Atlantic orders facilitated economic re-
vival in Europe and expanding trade and investment between the two regions.
In East Asia, the United States also took systematic steps to integrate Japan into the
Western world economy. The occupation of Japan initially focused on introducing demo-
cracy and market reform. As the Cold War took hold in Asia after 1948, the United States