This study looks closely at the attempts to resolve the dilemmas now confronting American policy-makers and the need for the US to balance national interests against global responsibilities as the world's only superpower. The emphasis on trade and the vital need to improve American performance in international trade for domestic reasons is placed against new sets of problems for international security. The role of key institutions such as the United Nations, the present round of GATT negotiations and the dangers of protectionism developing from new groupings of economic blocs are also examined.