ABSTRACT
For more than half a century the western world has depended on American power for its security. The United States has acted as a sort of benevolent Roman Empire for its allies. Europe's reaction has helped it to achieve the Euro and now encourages a more autonomous security system. First among these trends is the changing nature of Europe's security problems. In the Cold War, the greatest threat to Europe was obvious and external. A malevolent superpower on Europe's edge, with a large army in Europe's middle, constituted an urgent threat, justifying US leadership and heavy military presence to Europeans and Americans alike. Alongside the four trends pressing toward a more autonomous European defence, there is certainly a fifth: the evolution of the American political system. To be sure, this sort of constitutional bazaar of politicians and interests is hardly unknown elsewhere.
