ABSTRACT
The primary questions addressed in this volume are whether the recent crises in relations between the United States and Europe are wider and deeper than those that have preceded it and whether or not there is a promising future for the Atlantic partnership. As is often the case with such questions, the answers are not clear and unequivocal. Nevertheless, the authors provide useful guidance for responding to each. Regarding the first, most believe that indeed the challenges currently facing EU-US relations are greater and potentially more disruptive than any that the Atlantic partnership has faced in the past. While this comes through clearly in the discussions of security relations, the potential for serious disagreements, while not yet manifest, is also acknowledged in trade relations and to a lesser extent in monetary affairs. Even the current alignments in domestic politics on matters of agriculture, the environment, and ideology predict tough times ahead in forging Atlantic consensus on any of these matters.
