Espaces et échanges: how does USA exerts its influence in different ways?

Espaces et echanges / Space and exchange

Americanisation : the influence of the usa in the world

Problematique :  how does usa exerts its influence in different ways?

Expose: definition

Today I'm going to talk about the spaces and exchanges. We can define exchanges as a continuous motion of circulation. There are different types of exchanges (with people, financial, education). This concept deals with the geographical and symbolic areas that all societies occupy and the interactions between men and different societies. Our world is built on the exploration and conquest of new spaces

Introduction: In the aftermath of the First World War, the United States fell back on itself and refused to join the League of Nations. However, from 1945 onwards, the country's essential role in the defeat of the Axis during the Second World War, the strengthening of its economy and the ruin of Europe and Japan led it to renounce this Isolationism and to assume its responsibilities of great world power.

After restoring the monetary order (Bretton Woods, 1944) and trade ( GATT agreements , 1947), the United States became involved in the Cold War and took over the leadership of the free world in the face of the Communist block led by The USSR .

1-The Fundamentals of Power

1. In the economic field

•  US GDP is the equivalent of Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Firms from the United States dominate the international market and are a symbol of globalization (Coca-Cola, Microsoft, MacDonald's, etc.). In 2005, of the world's top 200 companies, 97 are American. If American multinationals are located in all regions, the majority of capital comes from the United States.
• Foreign direct investment ( FDI ) in the United States dominates international investment. The American supremacy is articulated on several scales. The economy has a huge domestic market, rich and solvent but indebted. The country's regional influence is based on the construction of a free-trade market with its neighbors. For example, the United States gets its supplies from the Mexican maquiladoras. Finally, privileged relationships ensure the loyalty of economic and strategic allies on all continents.

1. In the field of technology

• The importance of investment in research and development and the high level of researchers explain the proliferation of innovations (in 2005, 150,000 patents filed in the United States and Europe were filed by US companies, compared with 68,000 for European companies) This allows the United States to dominate the world in the key areas of the third industrial revolution, namely information and communication technologies (semiconductors, computers, software, multimedia, telecommunications , The Internet), as well as in biotechnologies ( GMOs ).
• Thus, one-third of US growth is now attributed to high-tech . 9 million people live, of which 3.5 million in the computer sector. It is estimated that 40% of the total investment of US companies devoted to IT and telecommunications, compared with 15% ten years ago. Finally, the United States owns 50% of the world's computers, and one worker in two uses computers

TRANSITION: not only does it have fundamental powers but it has many other influences  

2-The other foundations of power

A-Cultural influence

• The influence of the United States in the cultural field is multifaceted. The result is an extension of the consumer society (American creation of the 1920s) to the other capitalist countries developed since the end of the Second World War. The adoption of the American way of life has transformed food and clothing habits, as well as modes of artistic expression, by introducing new products, services and musical forms such as coca cola and fast- Food, jeans, jazz or rock'n roll, and so on. Even popular festivals like Halloween are now imposed commercially in Europe by Disney, Coca-Cola or MacDonald's. This fast-food chain operates more than 25,000 restaurants in the United States and around the world.

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