What are some of the factors that lead to the world power status of the United States?

Question

Why did the US acquires such a strong status that it is considered as a major world power?

Answer 1

CAPITALISM. it makes us as humans willing to work and produce since the socialist government will not be taking it from us. It is like this. \(being a country boy i relate to this saying) IF TOO MANY FOLKS STOP HOEING THE CORN THEN WHY SHOULD THE FEW HOE IT, WHEN ALL WILL EAT IT. If my production is taxed to the point that i am equal to the my neighbor (who will not put in overtime or take a chance in his own business) then why should i risk a business venture. since my government is going to take it. Screw work, i will party or drink. (look at the alcohol rates in Russia)

Answer 2

At the end of WW2 England, France, Germany, USSR, and Japan were mostly bombed into rubble, England had some industry rebuilt by mid war, but France was occupied until 1944 and the war ended in 45 so we were the only large industrialized nation that had it's factories intact at the end of the war, and production was up, Europe needed to be rebuilt. we used US currency as the basis for establishing a uniform international currency valuation system. and dollars were the prime currency all others were valued against the dollar. many fine books outline this rise to power from different views but this was a major reason.

Answer 3

The world wars severely weakened Europe, while the US had an open season for capitalism and economic growth.

Not to mention that the US military has a sweet tooth for big expensive toys.

Answer 4

during the cold war, during the arms race, it was determined that the amount of dirt and debris that would be thrown into the atmosphere was comparable to several volcanoes erupting.
Volcanic eruptions had proved to cool the earth...this is where the concept of nuclear winter came from.
If the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. were to go to war (world war 3) the earth would have entered a new Ice age.
and the "SUPER POWERS" were born, two countries that if they were to go to war they would destroy the world.

Answer 5

Many factors. Industrial Capacity, Financial, Land, Natural Resources, etc, but I think the biggest single reason would have to be....we had Nukes before anyone else, and no one needed to ever question if we would use them. That was enough.

Answer 6

geographically as large as all of Europe. Huge amounts of natural resources: timber, oil, iron ore, coal. Influx of immigrants = cheap, abundant labor.

Decline of England as a military/naval power after WWI and especially WWII. Loss of the "empire's" (exploited colonies) raw materials which led to decline of profitability of manufacturing base.

After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, England was THE superpower. Its navies controlled all the oceans of the world and "enforced" its laws everywhere.

Lack of colonial resources led germany to fight WWI (not in High School history books).

WWII destroyed the economies of the rising economies of Germany and Japan as well as the rest of Europe.

Rebuilding their manufacturing bases spurred a huge growth in American manufacturing, especially the machine tool industry.

And we didn't demobilize our military after WWII like we did afdter WWI. So we had a relatively huge military as everyone else had lost most of theirs in the war.

Answer 7

The number one was sending "revenue cutters"(ie military ships) around the world to demonstrate America's military strength.

Answer 8

Dropping the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima may have contributed.

Answer 9

The economy, wealth and strength of character ( the later we seem to be losing).

Answer 10

We are capitalists, not socialists. We're the ones with the Better Idea.