Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book discusses how great and how lasting is American dominance and by what calculations will other major powers choose between following American leadership and balancing against American power. It focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of unilateral versus multilateral approaches to United States foreign policy. The book explores the Americans view on their role in the world and in what ways does American political culture color the interests and values to which American power is put. It explains the world view on the United States and its foreign policies and the changes in the U.S. foreign policy since 9/11. These contending worldviews or schools of thought intersect with the changed realities of international power to produce varied policy prescriptions. The principal axes of debate focus on two overarching questions: (1) Interests/Values and (2) Unilateralist/Multilateralist.