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Nº 9 (2025)
Economics
The US Economy in the Background of Changes
Resumo
The article aims to show the current economic situation in the USA as well as new economic policy of President D. Trump's administration. It is shown that the first economic reforms, carried out by Trump's administration, especially in a sphere of foreign trade policy, led to deterioration of general economic situation, including downfall of GDP by 0,3% during first quarter of 2025. It is determined by chaotic steps by Trump's administration in foreign trade policy by imposing increased import tariffs on more then 80 countries. The same time the author came to the conclusion that the USA keep the leading position in comparison with other highly developed countries both in regard to current economic situation and by long-term conditions of economic development. According to different estimations made by leading American economic experts the author concludes that President Trump's economic policy contains a great potential of uncertain trends and will lead to controversial economic and social consequences.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):05-17
05-17
USA and EU on the Eve of a Trade War?
Resumo
The beginning of D. Trump's second presidential tenure was remarkable in a sense that some declarations and decisions taken by the American leader during this period go beyond the usual practice of international trade relations and are hardly compatible with established perceptions of partnership between allies. The article examines the shaping of a trade strategy of the US administration which is based on the principle "America first" and D. Trump’s motto "Make America Great Again". The national economic egoism peaked in the US ‘reciprocal tariffs’ policy breaks away from liberalizing world trade that the United States had been promoting since the 1950-s. It comes into collision with the universal trade rules of the WTO and badly hurts the European Union. The author discloses how Washington’s explicitly protectionist modus operandi highlighted by the newly increased tariffs on the EU goods brings a transatlantic trade war closer. The countermeasures taken by the European Union in response to the US moves damaging European economic interests are scrutinized. Conflicting interests of Washington and Brussels connected with the activities of the US technological companies in the European market of digital services make ground for new tensions in transatlantic relations.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):18-31
18-31
Foreign Policy
Trump 2.0 and China: Next Stage Ahead
Resumo
D. Trump’s approach towards China is shaped greatly by the political- and psychological legacy of its previous term in the White House. The trade war, that was the cornerstone of his China policy during his first term, has not achieved its primary goals. The economic confrontation between the USA and the PRC reflects the fundamental characteristics and peculiarities of their respective economic models, the contradictions between them, and their diversity being manifested in global trade and economy. The transition to a new phase of economic growth in China, marked by moving away from a dominant export orientation, is largely driven by efforts to develop the domestic market and boost internal consumption. PRC leaders have been highlighting this issue for a long time, but there has been no significant progress in addressing it. The current slowing down of the Chinese economy brings certain changes in the balance of power in the economic competition with the USA and China, creating a new contextual factor for bilateral relations during the Trump 2.0 period. The informal process of power transition from Xi Jinping has tacitly started in China, and his successor cannot help but arising sooner or later. Meanwhile, the intra-elite situation surrounding Xi Jinping can hardly be viewed as entirely calm and peaceful.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):32-45
32-45
The Role and Prospects of the Taiwan Issue in China-U.S. Relations under Trump 2.0
Resumo
On January 20, 2025, Republican President-elect Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States in Washington. The initial steps by the president, along with a number of accusations and demands directed at Taiwan, have led some analysts to suggest that, driven by his transactional approach to world affairs, Donald Trump may seek to use the island as a "bargaining chip" in negotiations between the U.S. and China – or perhaps even withdraw U.S. support for Taiwan altogether. However, based on the analysis of U.S. policy toward Taiwan during Trump's first administration (2017-2021), recent statements by the president and key members of his current team on the Taiwan issue, as well as steps already taken by the U.S. government, the author argues that the American political elites continue to view the island as an important strategic asset in efforts to contain Beijing, and that the broader U.S. strategy of keeping Taiwan within the U.S. sphere of influence will remain unchanged. The Republican administration will actively advance its initiatives to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations, particularly in the military and security spheres. In the coming years, Taiwan's alignment with Washington is not anticipated to diminish, but rather to deepen. In this context, provocative rhetoric and actions by the Taiwanese administration, aimed at leveraging anti-China sentiment on the island to bolster support for the Democratic Progressive Party in the run-up to the 2028 presidential election, are likely to cast an additional "shadow" over China-U.S. relations. This will lead to growing uncertainty and increased risks in the development of the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):46-56
46-56
United States Approaches to Strengthening Artificial Intelligence Competitiveness in the Context of Rivalry with China
Resumo
The competition between the United States and China in the field of science and technology has noticeably intensified in recent years and has become the basis for a wider geopolitical rivalry between these two largest economies in the world, requiring the use of various kinds of restrictive and control measures. Central to this rivalry is the field of artificial intelligence (AI), in which China has noticeably strengthened its scientific and technological potential and is ahead of the United States in a number of indicators. In response to these challenges, U.S. private sector investment in AI technology has grown markedly in recent years. The regulatory activities of the federal government have also intensified, with efforts in the near future aimed at further promoting innovations in this area with an emphasis on the development of AI infrastructure and the support of investment business projects, taking into account the identified potential positive impact of AI technologies on labor productivity and economic growth. During the second Trump administration, technological competition will be of growing importance to U.S. national security goals. As a result, efforts are expected to further expand to constrain Chinese technological advances and prevent the leakage of US-developed AI technologies. In this context, Congress is considering national security issues related to the potential use of artificial intelligence technologies such as deepfakes, which can influence elections and undermine public confidence, as well as the problem of maintaining the balance between automated decision-making and human decision-making in military operations. U.S. allies and partners will play a prominent role in strengthening the country's technological competitiveness in the field of AI and ensuring national security, in particular, in establishing semiconductor supply chains and building AI data centers outside the United States with the ability to serve certain regions of the world.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):57-65
57-65
Military Policy
Discussion in Canada on Defence Spending
Resumo
In 2014 at the NATO summit it was decided that all NATO countries should spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. However no Canadian government from that time even tried to fulfill this requirement and for the last ten years Canada's military expenditures remained at the level of 1.3% of GDP. After the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis in February 2022 the U.S. intensified its criticism of those NATO countries that spend less than 2% of GDP on defence. Since 2023 the debate about how much should be spent on defence has intensified dramatically in Canada. Many Canadian experts and journalists agree that increasing military spending to 2% of GDP would require raising taxes or cutting other items of the federal budget or perhaps both. In July 2024 J. Trudeau's government promised to increase military spending to 2% of GDP by 2032. The sharp deterioration of Canada-US relations in early 2025 seriously changed the nature of the debate on military spending: whereas previously it was seen as a purely financial issue (whether to raise military spending to 2% of GDP and where to get the money for it) it is now seen primarily as a means of strengthening sovereignty and improving relations with the US. A significant milestone in the debate in Canada over the size of military spending was the fact that an increase to 2% of GDP was supported by the all major political parties before the parliamentary elections on April 28, 2025. After becoming leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada in March 2025, M. Carney promised following his party's victory in the parliamentary elections of 2025 to increase military spending to 2% of GDP already in 2025 and raise this spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):66-78
66-78
Domestic Politics
Franklin Roosevelt's Pension Strategy: 90-years of the Government Program
Resumo
The article reviews the transformation of the United States social security system, highlighting the evolution of the approaches to solving pension security problems in view of demographic and financial challenges. The problems of the growing outlays, exceeding payroll taxes in the third decade; the perspectives of the Social Security retirement benefits are in focus. Social security remains an important source of actual and expected income for Americans not only in the period of retirement. The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program – providing benefits to retired, their spouses, dependents, survivors; persons with disabilities – has become essential for them, being an important source of their income. The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program has become an important factor in the process of decreasing poverty. At the same time, it is pointed out that United States government policy has become an important factor of the retirement income sources' diversification, providing special measures for increasing the availability and motivation of pension accounts.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):79-87
79-87
The Impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion concept (DEI) on the American Government and Society (2021-2025)
Resumo
The article is devoted to the study of the influence of the concept of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) on American state and society during the presidency of J. Biden (2021-2025). The work shows the essence of the DEI concept, as well as the main forms of its implementation. Special attention is paid to the influence of DEI on US federal agencies, especially on the activities of the State Department and the Department of Defense. The paper also analyzes the impact of DEI on the US private sector, as well as on the American education system through the introduction of critical race theory into the curriculum. Finally, the article shows various measures of the Republicans, including the executive orders of President D. Trump, aimed at countering the DEI concept, which they consider an effective way to expand the influence of the left-liberal progressive agenda.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):88-100
88-100
Religious Diplomacy
U.S. Religious Diplomacy in the 21st Century: A Foreign Policy Instrument or a Tool for Domestic Political Struggle?
Resumo
The role of religion in U.S. foreign policy has significantly increased in the 21st century, primarily due to the rising influence of conservative evangelical groups. Amid shifting demographic trends, reliance on Christian fundamentalists has become essential for the Republican Party's political survival. Donald Trump’s example demonstrates that genuine religious devotion is less critical than employing rhetoric and actions appealing to religious conservatives. Despite ambiguity surrounding Trump's personal religious beliefs, he effectively branded himself as a defender of religious freedoms. However, his second-term decisions to cut funding for international aid programs provoked criticism even from traditionally supportive conservative Christian groups. The article traces the evolution of American religious diplomacy from the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act to contemporary developments, assessing the effectiveness of implemented measures. It concludes that religious diplomacy has taken on a distinctly partisan character and argues that for Republicans, it serves less as a foreign policy tool than as an instrument of domestic political mobilization.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):101-114
101-114
U.S. and the World
Comparing the U.S. Withdrawals from UNESCO under the Administrations of R. Reagan and D. Trump
Resumo
The article compares the approaches of the Republican administrations of R. Reagan and D. Trump to participation in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It identifies the background, as well as the domestic and foreign policy determinants, of both U.S. decisions to withdraw from UNESCO. The paper specifies the role of the Congress and civil society in shaping public discussion related to the termination of U.S. membership in the organization. Finally, it determines the degree and nature of continuity in the policies of the two administrations towards UNESCO.
USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2025;(9):115-127
115-127