American in the New Millennium American History

American in the New Millennium, American History

The world is in constant change. The civilization that we experience today would have been hardly envisaged by the people living in the beginnings of the 20th century. This is largely due to economic, political, social, and technological advancements. These elements will most likely impact the way in which the world evolves in the new millennium as well. The United States is still considered to be the most important democratic pole of the world and the largest economy. The elements mentioned above are the ones that will influence the development of the United States in the future.

Despite the fact that the U.S. is the most important country in the world by most standards and the "land of all opportunities," given the economic recession, the political and economic life in the country may affect the way in which this millennium starts for the United States. A crucial aspect in this sense is related to the population and especially in terms of employment. For instance, "America, like other modern countries, has always had some surplus workers -- people ready to work but jobless for extended periods because the "job creators," private and public, have been unable or unwilling to create sufficient jobs. When the number of surplus workers rose sharply, the country also had ways of reducing it. However, the current jobless recovery, and the concurrent failure to create enough new jobs, is breeding a new and growing surplus pool. And some in this pool are in danger of becoming superfluous, likely never to work again." (Gans, 2011)

As a result of unemployment or better said given the unemployment rates that are still significant despite the measures taken at the level of the administration, the economy is still not recovering. There are massive economic problems that prevent the U.S. To slowly establish itself in the clear hierarchy of the economic world. This in turns affects the micro economic spectrum that eventually impacts the employment rates, the level of education, and the quality of the medical care system. Overall, the economic spectrum is crucial for the United States in the coming decades because it will affect the next generations and therefore the next forty of fifty years.

Another major aspect of the new millennium is related to the way in which the United States will manage to play its role in the political scene especially the international political scene. It is already common knowledge that the state of affairs that was in place twenty years ago is no longer valid. At this point, some of the strongest actors on the international scene are China, South East Asian countries, among others. The poles of power have changed significantly and are largely determined by the economic power of the state. More precisely, "China's extraordinary economic growth and active diplomacy are already transforming East Asia, and future decades will see even greater increases in Chinese power and influence. But exactly how this drama will play out is an open question." (Ikenberry, 2008) At this moment it is rather difficult to ascertain the degree in which China will become the next most important country in the world, However, the Chinese structure and political system is built in such a manner that it can eventually influence the way in which the international affairs are conducted.