TOWARD THE NEXT WORLD ORDER: THE US DECLINE AND ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF WORLD ORDER

Abstract

Every nation and civilization has held a distinct view of just arrangements and the distribution of power in world politics. The post-1945 liberal international order, construed under U.S. leadership, is now in relative decline and increasingly contested by alternative models. This study examines the transition from U.S.-led unipolarity to an unbalanced multipolar world order characterized by competing civilizational and ideological visions. Grounded in a neoclassical realist framework, it analyzes the world order models articulated by China, Russia, and diverse Islamic political traditions. The findings reveal that contemporary global politics is shaped by fragmented legitimacy contestation, domestic constraints, and regional institutional experimentation rather than simple ideological confrontation. China advances a civilizational model institutionalized through the Belt and Road Initiative, while Russia articulates a revisionist multipolar vision, though domestic political constraints limit its constructive capacity. Islamic political traditions provide normative critiques of the liberal order but remain fragmented across state and non-state actors. The study concludes that the emerging world order will be negotiated among multiple competing poles, underscoring the urgent need for reconciliation across divergent visions.