ABSTRACT
The United States has been the sole great power for nearly 15 years, but its international standing remained fairly high through the late 1990s. Although some foreign leaders expressed concerns about the power imbalance, most nations, their people and their governments looked favorably on the United States and welcomed Washington's global leadership. The United State's current task is to rebuild the sense of trust, admiration, and legitimacy it once enjoyed, so that the rest of the world can focus not on taming American power but on reaping the benefits that it can bring. A 2004 study by the Pentagon's Defense Science Board concluded that 'Muslims do not 'hate our freedom', but rather they hate our policies'. Moreover, the United States cannot simply dictate the terms of multilateral trade agreements, which also helps explain Washington's propensity to negotiate bilateral deals with individual states. Foreign powers also attempt to take advantage of the unusual openness of the United States political system.
