By Rose Cunningham and Avery Benbow
Macedonian, Roman, Mongol, Persian, Aztec, British, and Spanish. For as long as can be remembered, empires have loomed over history like an imposing party host. Remember, “How many times a day do men think about the Roman Empire?” A LOT! Rightfully so, after all, what is the essence of an empire? How do they come to wield so much power? Why do they fall? Should we glorify them? For many history students, pursuing these answers, hidden in the past, is the be-all and end-all. However, a more interesting question is whether or not empires are truly a thing of the past. As such, we introduce the United States of America…
Economics is a fundamental part of how the world works. From its first sugar exports to current copious amounts of petrol, the US economy makes vital contributions to the global economy. This is especially so, as the USA possesses the most dominant national economy, making up over 25% of the world’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2022, or $27.78 trillion (USD). For reference, if income was evenly distributed, that would allow for $85,370 per American person, compared to $65,099 per person in Australia. The US also serves as the world's primary reserve currency, meaning many countries use the USD (United States Dollar) as the basis for valuing their own currency, thus allowing for international transactions. As such, issues within the US economy can rapidly ripple worldwide. For example, the 1929 American stock market crash caused economies worldwide to implode, resulting in the Great Depression, and demonstrating the interconnectedness of international markets (buying and selling things worldwide). Given that the modern world relies even more on US currency and economic involvement than in the 1920s, an uncontrolled downturn in the American economy would likely destabilise many, if not all, international companies and stock exchanges. This being said, the US economy is at its strongest since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the GDP increasing from -2% in 2020 to 5.9% presently, providing relief from any impending economic disaster. Additionally, Australia presently relies on the USA for 10.7% of its imports and 4.6% of its exports. However, it is worth noting that Australia relies more heavily on China, as they account for 27% of exports and 21% of imports, so there isn’t a complete monopoly of national economic power, though there are still large divides. Thus, international economic domination as a characteristic of an empire suggests that empires are not wholly a thing of the past.
Politically, the USA undoubtedly wields significant influence, especially in the Western world. Though it boasts only 4.3% of the population, it would be foolish to underestimate its ability to control substantial aspects of the world. As a founding member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and the United Nations, along with involvement in a range of proxy wars, US alliances aim to protect both itself and the rest of the world. Also, in 2022, the US supplied $18 billion to the UN, mostly voluntarily, emphasising their extensive involvement in international politics. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the USA can push for a range of actions concerning issues of global importance, such as pursuing sanctions and trade restrictions on other nations, freezing assets and transactions, and targeting terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda. Also, though not directly linked to national-level politics, the celebrity power of the US informs and aids cultural and political movements globally. For example, Dolly Parton’s work with the Imagination Library helps raise funds to supply books to disadvantaged children in the US and internationally, currently assisting about 1.3 million children monthly. Therefore, the political power of the US, extending from political ideals to celebrity advocacy, gives them this defining trait of an empire.
Furthermore, one defining factor of empires has always been their dedication to military prowess. After all, domination in this realm is the most accepted way to ensure continued order and obedience across a growing empire of conquered territories and competitors. As such, the US ranks first as a nation for military spending in 2023, with 3% of their total GDP (Gross Domestic Product), or a total of $916 billion, going towards the United States Armed Forces [Statista, 2023], which includes the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Ergo, their extensive funding allowed them to be the first nation to develop and implement nuclear power and weapons, initially during World War II through the Manhattan Project, leading to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Therefore, their commitment to military superiority is clear, consequently leading to semi-frequent military interventions in other nations, successful or not. Some of their most notable interventions have been in Vietnam throughout the Second Indo-Chinese War, and in Afghanistan during the 2001 to 2021 war against the Taliban. Overall, the dominant international position of America is somewhat a product of their unparalleled military capacity, which, while limiting peaceful foreign policy, remains a common feature throughout the history of empires.
Finally, the idea of an empire is inherently tied to the accumulation of new areas to increase territorial power. This ties very closely to colonisation, which was largely denounced throughout the 20th century, even by US presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt, saying, “imperialism… may obstruct the paths to international peace”. This being said, colonialism continues at the hands of the United States of America, with the conquered areas of Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, and more, existing as US “territories”. These were previously referred to as “colonies” by presidents like Woodrow Wilson, though this terminology has been largely disregarded since the international trend towards decolonisation. Some of these acquisitions, such as Hawaii, have since become US states, and others have become independent, like the Philippines. Yet, many remain sub-national administrative regions, where inhabitants have US citizenship (except for American Samoa), but lack significant sovereignty or voting representation in the federal US government, who oversee them legally through local politicians. This can largely be seen to resemble the nature of Rome and the provinces, before the 48 CE inclusion of Gauls into the Senate by Emperor Claudius, revealing the similarities between the strategies imperial powers across time implemented to maintain colonial control.
In conclusion, throughout history, empires have revealed themselves through numerous identifying features, including economic domination, political influence, military prowess, and colonial exploits. Thus, analysing these themes within the United States of America, especially given its prominent international position in our modern world, makes it apparent that empires are not simply past entities, instead, we exist in the midst of one.
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