The Rise of the American System - Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order - page 146

ited States “first among equals” status but it also gave other states the ability to engage in an
ongoing political process that generated reciprocity, voice, and—ultimately—legitimacy for
the overall hegemonic order.
While the United States pursued a multilateral strategy in Europe—with NATO as the
anchor—it pursued a series of bilateral security agreements with Japan, Korea, and several
Southeast Asian states. 104 In effect, the political bargain took a slightly different form with
Japan and the East Asian partners. The hub-and-spoke character of America's security and
political ties to East Asia meant that it would not be subject to the same multilateral restraints
and commitments that existed within NATO. The hierarchical character of the relationships
would be less compromised by agreed-upon regional rules and institutions. To some extent,
the absence of a multilateral security institution in East Asia was due to regional circum-
stances. Japan did not have ready partners in East Asia with which to built multilateral ties as
West Germany had within Europe. Europe had a group of roughly equally sized and situated
states that were capable of being bound together in a multilateral security institution tied to
the United States, while Japan was alone and isolated in East Asia. 105
Overall, despite these differences, the security and political bargains between Washington
and its partners formed the underpinning of the liberal hegemonic order. The United States
agreed to extend its security umbrella to East Asia and Western Europe and support an open
and integrative world economy. It took steps to stimulate European and Japanese economic
growth, encouraging European economic integration and promoting Japanese trade into the
American market. The United States enjoyed such an advantage in production, trade, capital,
and technology that it could tolerate asymmetrical discrimination and use some of its eco-
nomic assets to pursue systemwide policies of growth, integration, and openness. It would
provide security to its partners who, in return, would affiliate with and support the United
States as a hegemonic leader. As security partners, Japan and Western European states would
gain the economic advantages of trade and investment within an American-led internation-
al economy. The United States also agreed to operate within a framework of alliances and
multilateral institutions that made the exercise of American power more restrained and pre-
dictable. These institutional frameworks provided channels and mechanisms for states within
the order to consult on and influence American policy.
Conclusion
In the decades after 1945, the United States established an international order. Under the
cover of the Cold War, a revolution in relations between the Western great powers took
place. It was a Western order built around cooperative security, managed open markets, mul-
tilateral governance, and American liberal hegemonic leadership. The Cold War facilitated