Multilateralism and The Question of U.S. Leadership Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications on the global economy, international politics and societies. Even though the pandemic is a global issue, states have turned inwards, proposed national solutions and have failed to coordinate a global response. The United States, as the predominant global power with its leading material capabilities has been expected to lead collective international effort and to solve collective action problems during the current pandemic. However, the Trump administration has been showing a lack of global leadership. Drawing on theories of hegemonic leadership and Hegemonic Stability Theory, this article focuses on the global role has been played by the United States during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas classical realism emphasizes that national interests are determinant of states’ foreign policies, dominant powers have responsibilities beyond their nations. The pandemic demands the dominant power to bear the main responsibility and lead a collective response to mitigate impacts of COVID-19. Based on this claim, this paper argues that U.S President Donald Trump’s America First approach failed the United States to commit to multilateralism and to organize a collective action in response to the pandemic which in turn has put U.S. global leadership at stake.