The United States as a regional security actor

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the U.S. role as a regional actor along three dimensions: intra-regional, inter-regional and trans-regional. The paper investigates to what extent these three dimensions are present within the U.S. strategic thinking and discusses briefly different dimensions of the U.S. role as a security provider. The paper demonstrates that despite the extensive interdependence between the United States and its North American neighbours, the political and analytical significance of their relationship is overshadowed by its international commitments in other parts of the world, including in the Middle East or Asia. The paper concludes that the roles that the United States plays as a regional security provider are in constant evolution which results in a varied geometry of U.S. engagement within North America and globally.