A ‘Concert’ for a new era: American power and the multipolar challenge

Imagine, if you will, a world in which the rules and institutions of global governance actually reflected the underlying distribution of power on the world stage. In such a world, the major powers wouldn’t be locked in a struggle for outdated ideologies or clinging to an order built for a bygone era. Instead, they would cooperate to manage competition, prevent conflict and address pressing global issues that threaten all nations.

This vision may sound utopian, but history offers compelling examples ...