No matter who wins the presidential election in November, the United States appears headed for a prolonged period of political volatility as leaders do not seem to have good answers to voters' anxieties about their economic future. This threatens to spill over into U.S. relations with the rest of the world in the form of increased protectionist pressures.

As Washington appears likely to face austerity constraints as it tries to grapple with the nation's economic woes, burden-sharing among its allies for security in Asia may be on the agenda in the coming years. Meanwhile, the U.S. — and perhaps Japan — needs to reconcile its "dual mind-set" about the rise of China and its security implications in the region.

These were among the issues discussed by experts from American think tanks who took part in a symposium in Tokyo organized by the Keizai Koho Center on April 27 under the theme, "Japan and the U.S. under the recent changes in the world — How to cope with global changes in this decade." Masahiko Adachi, a senior analyst for North America with the Sumitomo Shoji Research Institute, served as moderator of discussions.