大国竞争的内政化:以拜登政府重建中产阶级政策为例

The Nexus between Domestic Politics and Great Power Competition:How the Biden Administration Advances Strategic Competition with China through Rebuilding the American Middle Class

拜登政府上台后,将重建美国的中产阶级作为其施政的核心目标,力图从根本上改变20世纪80年代以来"新自由主义"和"涓滴经济学"在美大行其道的状况,开创美国国家发展的新周期。重建中产阶级是拜登政府应对美国面临的内外危机的重要努力,也是确保美国对中国"竞而胜之"的基本方略,两者之间的关联度日益紧密。拜登政府既借助"中国议题"应对国内党争压力、推动美国变革,也通过重建中产阶级打造针对中国的"实力地位",夯实美国国家实力的国内基础。拜登政府对内增加用于经济、社会和民生发展的投入,发展"21世纪基础设施",力推税制改革,强化美国政府在抑制不平等、反垄断等方面的作用;对外提出实施"服务中产阶级的外交政策",承诺其国际经济政策不再以美国大企业和跨国公司利益为导向,结束损害美国中产阶级福祉的阿富汗战争等海外军事行动。拜登政府重建中产阶级政策对中美关系具有重要影响,中美两国围绕国家治理能力的竞争更趋凸显,须通过增进中美"内政契合度"等方式对两国战略竞争进行管控。大国竞争的内政化问题值得更多学理和政策层面的探讨。

Rebuilding the American middle class is the overarching policy goal of the Biden administration. It aims to open a new era for America’s national development through mitigating negative effects of Neoliberalism and Trickle-down Economics. Rebuilding the middle class is not only a solution to severe internal economic,political,and societal crises,but also a prerequisite to outcompete China. Those two are intertwined closely. The Biden administration plays the China card to bridge the differences between the Democrats and the Republicans,and to push forward with America’s own reforms. It seeks to approach China from the position of strength largely by rebuilding the American middle class. The Biden administration promotes American infrastructure for the 21 st century,enhancing federal investments on physical and societal infrastructure. It also unveils ambitious tax proposals to address income inequality. The Biden administration vows to pursue a"foreign policy for the middle class,"placing more emphasis on the benefits to American ordinary people than the profitability of American multinationals. It completely ended the Afghanistan war and promised to be more cautious about overseas military interventions,to avoid undermining the welfare of the middle class. The policy agenda of rebuilding the American middle class is consequential to U. S.-China relations. The competition of national governance capabilities between the two powers becomes more salient. China and the United States need to manage the strategic competition through a "domestic politics-first"approach. They may seek common interests by aligning their respective domestic priorities and creating shared benefits for the middle class of both countries. The nexus between the domestic politics and great power competition is worth further investigation.