Summary

Chapter 8 serves as an introduction to Part III. Haass states that the first half of the book showed that order, a common view of acceptable foreign policy behavior supported by a balance of power, has declined in recent decades. The remainder of the text will explain which actions the United States should take to restore order.

Chapter 9 addresses great power relations and thus can be considered an answer to the problems presented in Chapter 4. Haass argues that, in order to avoid the Thucydides Trap, the United States must balance accommodation with the enforcement of important norms in its relations with China and Russia. He states that more U.S. troops should be stationed in Eastern Europe and the Pacific to demonstrate that it will not tolerate aggression and its allies. Simultaneously, it should seek to create diplomatic interdependence, by cooperating with China and...