The Pivot: American Involvement in Asia

Authors

Marisa Tillman, Bethel University

Document Type

Honors Paper

Abstract

Part I: On November 17th, 2011, President Obama addressed the Australian parliament and presented a plan to shift American attention towards the Asia-Pacific region (Beitelman 2012, 1086). This is a policy known as the Pivot, which represents one of the most important issues of our time: that of America’s relations with China. China is becoming a much more powerful and important player in global politics and global economy, in fact China is growing at a faster rate than any other country in history (Schake 2014). The Pivot looks to lock in a substantially increased investment in the Asia Pacific region (Clinton 2011, 1). Basically, the Pivot is a policy response by the American government to what many call the top foreign policy problem facing the United States (Beitelman 2012, 1074; Stuart 2012, 203). By looking at the policies that make up the Pivot, the purposes and motivations behind it, and how, practically, it has been enacted today, I have examined the benefits and costs such a policy can have on American foreign relations. My conclusion is that the Pivot should be modified in order to truly represent how the United States wants to interact with China the best way possible instead of in a traditional realist manner that reacts to the Chinese threat.; Part II: Throughout history, the Philippines has had a particularly strong tie to the United States.Beginning with its American colonization, and ending with today’s strong economic and political ties, the United States of America has always been a strong ally to the Philippines in many ways. The Pivot Policy of 2011 is no different; it seems to reflect those close economic and political ties between the American and Philippine governments. By analyzing the tangible changes caused by the Pivot to the Philippine economy, military, and relationships with other nations, the various arguments for and against such an increase in relations with the United States can be identified. Through this analysis, various conclusions can be made as to the International Relations theory that is being used by the Philippine government and what they will likely do next.

Date Accepted/Awarded

10-12-2014

Award/Distinction

Library Research Prize Honorable Mention

Course

POS310 American Foreign Relations

First Advisor/Reader

Moore, Christopher

Recommended Citation

Tillman, Marisa, "The Pivot: American Involvement in Asia" (2014). Honors Student Works. 12.
https://spark.bethel.edu/honors-works/12

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