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A longstanding tension exists between the UN and the United States, the world’s most powerful nation. The UN constrains the United States by creating the one coalition that can rival U.S. power—that of all other nations. In addition, the United States has a streak of isolationism in its foreign policy that runs counter to the idea of the UN. But the UN also benefits the United States in many ways. It amplifies U.S. power because the United States usually leads the UN coalition. It helps keep world peace, which the United States is not rich or strong enough to do by itself. And it helps keeps the world stable, providing a good climate for international trade.

Starting in the mid-1980s the United States became more selective about how much money to give the UN in both mandatory and voluntary contributions. Some U.S. political leaders criticized the UN for being too large and inefficient. They complained that the UN answered to too many countries and was hindered by competition among the nations whose citizens were a part of the UN’s staff. The United States was further disillusioned by the peacekeeping fiascoes in Somalia and Bosnia in the early 1990s. This dissatisfaction came at a time after the Cold War, when the United States began to turn inward and to reduce foreign aid, diplomatic operations, and military forces worldwide.

At the same time, the United States was being squeezed financially by the size of its own debts and fell behind in paying its UN dues and contributions to the peacekeeping efforts. By the mid-1990s the United States owed the UN roughly $1.5 billion, despite various promises and plans to catch up. Meanwhile the U.S. Congress voted to give less money to the UN’s peacekeeping operations. Although polls showed strong U.S. public support for the UN, no groups stepped forward to persuade Congress to increase its support.

The United States began to target its criticism increasingly at UN Secretary General Boutros-Ghali. In 1996 the United States announced its plans to veto Boutros-Ghali’s candidacy for a second term. In a rare display of unity, almost all the other UN member states opposed this decision, arguing that the United States had no right to dictate the UN’s direction until it paid its membership dues. Nonetheless, the United States vetoed Boutros-Ghali’s second term, overruling all 14 other Security Council members. After several months of stalemate, Kofi Annan was elected with the support of the United States.

Prospects for better relations brightened in 2000, when the General Assembly changed its system of financing and substantially lowered U.S. dues. In exchange, the United States pledged a large payment of its past debts. The compromise removed a major source of tension between the United States and United Nations.