Three Futures for a Post American World | Deep Dive

New York Times opinion piece by Serge Schmemann [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/op...], titled “Three Scenarios for a Leaderless World,” serves as the concluding essay to The Times’ series “The New World Disorder.” Summary of Core Themes The Shift in American Leadership: The essay reflects on how America's role as the anchor of the post-WWII liberal, rules-based global order has fundamentally shifted. It points to Donald Trump's presidency—characterized by executive centralisation, populist grievance, challenging traditional international alliances, and courting autocratic figures—as the defining face of this transformation. Irreversible Global Changes: The author argues that even after Trump's era ends, the international system will likely not revert to its past form. A combination of deep US political shifts and evolving geopolitical realities means the post-war rules-based order led by Washington is unlikely to return in full. Key Scenarios for the Future Global Order The piece explores three potential trajectories for how international relations and global stability will function in an era where the United States steps aside as the sole global superpower. Other Sources: 1. Authoritarian Norms in a Changing International System – Cogitatio Press (PDF) 2. EVOLVING DYNAMICS OF GLOBAL POWER: ASSESSING THE SHIFT FROM UNIPOLARITY TO MULTIPOLARITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY – Policy Journal of Social Science Review (URL) 3. Four Scenarios for Geopolitical Order in 2025-2030: What Will Great Power Competition Look Like? – CSIS (URL) 4. International Business Quarterly: Trade Policy for a World at G-Zero – CSIS (URL) 5. Liberal International Order at a Crossroads: Possible Future Scenarios (PDF) 6. Multipolarity and the Future of Regionalism: Latin America and Beyond (PDF) 7. Post-American World? – Central European Journal of International and Security Studies (PDF) 8. The Rise of Populism in America and Its Impact on Foreign Policy (PDF) 9. The United States and Shifting Global Power Dynamics – Center for American Progress (URL)