ABSTRACT
Little has been resolved in the current profusion of discussion and analysis of empire, and indeed the question of whether the US The chapter explores the instruments of domination in every form so much so that the distinction between empire and hegemony has become blurred, particularly under the Bush administration. It could be argued that the focus on territory and military power in the Bush doctrine signals a return to the traditional idea of empire, propelled by an ideology that pursues imperial designs and espouses direct, unilateral military intervention to control the direction of international events. The 'democratic imperialism' advocated by powerful members of the decision-making circle has impregnated the entire post-September 11 foreign policy-making process, including the decision to invade Iraq, and bent it to neo-conservative objectives. The current state of unipolar domination is called American empire or US hegemony, it is the outcome of a decision-making process more than of objective facts.
