The Pivotal States: A New Framework for U.S. Policy in the Developing World

Since 1945, American foreign policy has enjoyed a record of overall success when dealing with friends of foes among the great powers. But the American record is mixed in handling the rest - the many nations that are not allies, enemies or rogue states. For most of this period the Cold War set the framework for US relations with these countries. But now there is no framework, and except for occasional humanitarian interventions and trade initiatives, no real policy. The foreign policy framework proposed here assumes that of the world's 140 developing states, there is a group of nine pivotal states whose futures are poised at critical turning points, and whose fate will strongly affect regional and even global security. These nine states are the ones upon which the United States should focus its scarce foreign policy resources. In these essays, the authors explore America's strategy towards the pivotal states and the implications for its foreign policy.