Even if others are gaining ground, the U.S. is much more open to foreign direct investments than emerging economies like India, Russia, China and Mexico, according to the OECD's Foreign Direct Investment Restrictiveness Index.
World's top global brands
Think of the world's most popular brands, and chances are most are born in the U.S.A. The U.S. may not manufacture most of the world's automobiles or computers, but it's known for many top brands that do so.
In 2011, nearly half of the world's top 100 brands were American, according to BrandZ, a brand equity database that lists 100 most valuable global brands. Of the top 10, nine are American -- with Apple taking the top spot, followed by Google, IBM, and McDonald's.
Many U.S. brands may symbolize different things in varying parts of the world. If you live in Europe, McDonald's might allude a level of urban sophistication -- and not just because folks in France call the Quarter Pounder with Cheese a Royal with Cheese.
"Unlike in North America and in some other parts of the world, McDonald's restaurants are considered in Europe to be a symbol of cosmopolitanism and a modern urban lifestyle among the young rather than simply a caterer of fast food to low income people," write economists at New Zealand's University of Waikato.
Indeed, emerging economies have been developing their own brands with varying successes. But the U.S. clearly leads in the world's images and ideas.
World's best universities
U.S. public schools may be flagging, but the nation is still home to many of the world's top universities. And foreign students in the U.S. make up an important piece of its economy.
While the number of American students fell slightly amid the recession in 2009, U.S. universities continued to attract students from abroad, according to a 2010 report by the Institute of International Education. Chinese students in the U.S. helped drive the overall increase of foreign scholars studying here -- a record 690,923. Aside from Chinese mainland, students from India, South Korea, Canada and Taiwan accounted for more than half of all foreign students studying in the U.S.
For the most part, they pursued studies in business and management or engineering. The universities hosting the largest number include the University of South California, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and New York University.
So while China and Germany may outrank the U.S. as being the world's biggest exporter of goods, America clearly tops as the exporter of education (the U.S. Commerce Department regards money spent by foreign students at U.S. universities an export service).
If only U.S. policies did more to keep such talent here.
World's top reserve currency
The value of the U.S. dollar may be declining, but it remains the currency of choice for many nations. The greenback accounted for roughly 61% of global central bank reserves during the first three months of 2011, according to the International Monetary Fund. The euro, which has been under attack amid Europe's ongoing debt crisis, ranks second with a 27.8% share.
The financial crisis has weakened foreign investors' faith in the U.S. dollar. And if there is to be a rival to the mighty greenback in this century, some analysts think it would surely be the Chinese renminbi given China's economic and trade power.
Even though the United Nations has urged central banks around the world to diversify their reserves away from the mighty greenback, the U.S. dollar continues to be favored by central bankers across the globe.
