America on its anniversary: ​​a dominant power or a declining empire? | policy

As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, there is renewed debate within the United States about the future of American power, not only at the level of global influence, but also about the nature of the national project itself.

While the Washington Post believes that the country is facing its “third test” since its founding, the British Economist magazine confirms that the United States is still the strongest in the world, but it is no longer the undisputed dominant power it was after World War II.

The two media platforms agree that America is facing a pivotal moment, but they differ in the angle of reading. The Washington Post focuses on internal division and the crisis of democratic identity, while The Economist looks at shifts in the global balance of power and the decline of Washington’s relative superiority.

A struggle over identity

Writer Theodore Johnson believes in the Washington Post that the “Declaration of Independence” has transformed over the past two centuries from a document listing grievances against the British Crown into a symbol of rights, opportunities and equality, but today this legacy faces a new challenge with the escalation of political polarization.

He says that the United States has become divided between two visions: the first wants to restore “lost glory,” and the second believes that the American project is not complete unless it continues to expand rights and deepen democracy. The question today, he writes, is not how the country reclaims its past, but rather “will it have the courage to advance its founding promise?”

He adds that issues such as voting rights, political representation, immigration, citizenship, and the constitutional limits of power have reopened debates that were thought to have been settled decades ago, becoming the core of the American political conflict.

Dominance is declining

On the other hand, The Economist provides a quantitative reading of the position of the United States, considering that it is still “richer, stronger, and more innovative than ever before,” but confirms that the difference between it and the rest of the major powers is gradually shrinking.

The magazine indicates that the American economy is still the largest in the world at current exchange rates, with a value of $32.4 trillion, and that the country is at the forefront of developing generative artificial intelligence, and has also become the largest producer of oil and natural gas, while the dollar maintains its position as the most important currency in international trade and payments.

But it makes clear that this absolute power does not mean continued relative hegemony, as the United States’ share of global dollar reserves is declining, and its share of global industrial production has shrunk from about half of production after World War II to about 15% currently, in exchange for the rise of China.

The Economist believes that President Donald Trump seeks to rebuild American power by increasing defense spending and encouraging allies to assume their military responsibilities, but in return he is weakening the United States’ traditional tools of influence.

Strengthening power and weakening influence

The Economist believes that President Donald Trump seeks to rebuild American power by increasing defense spending and encouraging allies to assume their military responsibilities, but in return he is weakening the United States’ traditional tools of influence.

She points out the reduction in foreign aid, the freezing of thousands of research grants, and the decline in the attractiveness of the United States for immigrants and researchers, all of which are factors that may affect innovation and scientific leadership in the future.

It also indicates that the United States, which has long been considered a “nation of immigrants,” may record an immigration rate approaching zero during the years 2025 and 2026, while the percentage of people wishing to move there globally has decreased significantly.

Washington Post: The future of the United States will not be determined by its ability to restore an ideal image of the past, but rather by its ability to expand democracy and make the representation of citizens more equitable.

Democracy or hegemony?

The Washington Post concludes that the future of the United States will not be determined by its ability to restore an ideal image from the past, but rather by its ability to expand democracy and make the representation of citizens more fair, considering that the 250th anniversary represents an opportunity to redefine the American project.

As for The Economist, it believes that the United States is still the leading power in the world, but it is moving in a world that it no longer has unique leadership, and that the real challenge is no longer just maintaining power, but rather preserving the elements of superiority that created that power over the past decades.

Thus, the two newspapers agree on one conclusion: America has not lost its power, but it faces a double test. Internally, it relates to the future of democracy and national identity, and externally, it relates to maintaining its position in a world that is moving towards multiple centers of influence, where American superiority is no longer taken for granted as it was in the past.