United States, 1993–2001

Democracy · Republic · North America · Globalization era

The United States in the unipolar moment: a post–Cold War economic boom and global military primacy alongside rising partisan polarization.

The United States in the 1990s experienced a long economic expansion, fiscal surpluses and a position of unrivaled global military and economic primacy after the Cold War. Politics featured welfare and trade reform, a government shutdown and a presidential impeachment amid intensifying partisan and cultural division. Constitutional institutions and peaceful transfers of power remained firmly in place.

Open United States 1993–2001 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • Democratization
  • Great-Power Rivalry
  • Regime Stabilization

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power40
Media Control20
Repression18
Nationalism45
Militarization55
Economic Stress30
External Conflict45
Cult of Personality30
Elite Fragmentation45
Institutions78
Social Polarization52
Corruption & Patrimonialism30
Ideological Mobilization35
External Sovereignty100

Economy & society

GDP per capita$45k (intl-$)
GDP growth+3.8%/yr
Population285.0M people
Share of world population4.7%
Urban share79%
Life expectancy77 years

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles United States 1993–2001, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. United States, 1898–1917 – similarity 94/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  2. Sweden, 1932–1976 – similarity 89/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  3. Switzerland, 1848–1914 – similarity 89/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  4. Sweden, 1939–1945 – similarity 88/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  5. West Germany, 1949–1990 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  6. British Empire, 1868–1901 – similarity 86/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  7. British Empire, 1901–1914 – similarity 84/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  8. Great Britain, 1688–1727 CE – similarity 83/100 · shared: Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization

What followed

  • A long expansion and post–Cold War primacy.
  • Contested but peaceful transfers of power.