Empire in Retreat

A sweeping history of the United States through the lens of empireand an incisive look forward as the nation retreats from the global stage A respected authority on international relations and foreign policy, Victor BulmerThomas offers a grand survey of the United States as an empire. From its territorial expansion after independence, through hegemonic rule following World War II, to the nations current imperial retreat, the United States has had an uneasy relationship with the idea of itself as an empire. In this book BulmerThomas offers three definitions of empireterritorial, informal, and institutionalthat help to explain the nations past and forecast a future in which the United States will cease to play an imperial role. Arguing that the move toward diminished geopolitical dominance reflects the aspirations of most U.S. citizens, he asserts that imperial retreat does not necessarily mean national decline and may ultimately strengthen the nationstate. At this pivotal juncture in American history, BulmerThomass uniquely global perspective will be widely read and discussed across a range of fields.