Lead the World to Democracy

Its no mystery why the United States of America is one of the most powerful countries in
the world, if not the most powerful. With a strong economic principles, a massive military force,
and a lead in the world technology race, the US is looked upon by the international community in
many different lights, some good and some bad. One of the most prominent features of the
United States success is the political premise of democracy, and a strong base structured around
human rights, free trade, and globalization. With these ideals in place, the US has begun to
spread outwards, bringing with it these values and concepts to countries around the world. At the
same time, some of the actions of the US are met with scrutiny by foreign nations, which
negatively affects the ultimate goal of bringing democracy to the world.
A primary way the United States uses to spread democratic values is through economics
and foreign markets. With the creation of policies such as the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) along with the encouragement of free trade throughout the world, the
ideals of the US spread through the economic sector rapidly. The promotion of free-market
capitalism in contrast to socialism and other forms of structure highlight the USs belief that the
spread of democracy and lessened regulations on finance help solve problems like inequality and
human rights violations throughout the world. The United States is in a position of power where
their values and ideals can be spread throughout the world fairly easily, and in turn, the
government believes that it is the countrys duty to promote and protect these ideas in order to
help the rest of the world gain a significant footing in the global community.
Another example of the USs method of spreading democracy to the world is through the
use of its vast and powerful military force. With a goal of addressing security threats before they
become a serious issue, the proactive nature of the United States aims to help countries that are

under oppression by their current governments. The strong militaristic policy of taking out
terrorist groups, removing dictators from power, and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons
while retaining our own have huge impacts on the world today. Even with the support of
international organizations such as the UN and NATO, the United States generally seeks to act
on its own, as the threats to world security and democratic values must be resolved quickly,
which is not always possible when coordinating with said organizations. With the promotion of
democratic values through the installation of democratic governments as seen in Iraq and
Afghanistan, these countries are less likely to start future wars with the United States, proving a
plus to overall global security.
While the United States aims to spread its ideals throughout the world, the nation is often
met with strong criticism from other countries as well as the citizens of its own. A main argument
in these cases is that the United States goal is not to bring and peace and security throughout the
world with its democratic concepts, but instead seeks to control the world through a careful chain
of supportive governments and markets swayed by democracy. However, international criticism
aside, the United States actions have proved helpful for the world, solving many different
conflicts with foreign aid and democratic strategies. Furthermore, the idea that the United States
wants to control the world is incorrect, as the nation relies on the cooperation and support of
other governments in order to facilitate free trade and globalization, which in turns helps both the
United States and the other countries.
All in all, the United States goal of spreading democracy throughout the world is one
that is a huge endeavor, but also aims to better the international community. Even with serious
criticism from members of its country as well as from other nations, the overall strategy is one
that has proven throughout history that it is beneficial for all. Through the use of its strong

peacekeeping military force, as well as its policies of free trade, free-market capitalism, and
dislike of communism/socialism, the US actively seeks a way to alter the global atmosphere for
good. Even with the spread of democracy and the benefits of democratic ideals however, the
United States interests sometimes rely on the cooperation and support of non-democratic nations
such as China and Saudi Arabia. With this said, the USs powerful economic and military
infrastructure along with the ultimate goal of spreading democracy to the world overpowers
these issues, and the ultimate goal remains to help improve equality and human rights throughout
the globe.