America's Inadvertent Empire
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
The United States finds itself at the center of a historically unparalleled empire, one that is wealth-generating and voluntary rather than imperialistic, say the authors of this compelling book. William E. Odom and Robert Dujarric examine America’s unprecedented power within the international arenas of politics, economics, demographics, education, science, and culture. They argue persuasively that the major threat to this unique empire is ineffective U.S. leadership, not a rising rival power center.
America cannot simply behave as an ordinary sovereign state, Odom and Dujarric contend. They describe the responsibilities that accompany staggering power advantages and explain that resorting to unilateralism makes sense only when it becomes necessary to overcome paralysis in multilateral organizations. The authors also offer insights into the importance of liberal international institutions as a source of power, why international cooperation pays, and why spreading democracy often inhibits the spread of constitutional order. If the United States uses its own power constructively, the authors conclude, the American empire will flourish for a long time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like Jim Garrison (see above), these two policy experts recognize that the United States has risen to such unprecedented levels on all fronts that no other nation or even alliance of nations can counterbalance its power. But unlike Garrison, who wants the U.S. to create a global society, Odom (former head of the National Security Agency) and Dujarric (a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations) envision "strong prospects for sustaining the American empire for a very long time." The tone is cautiously pragmatic, calling for the preservation of Liberal (with a capital L) institutions that will propagate American values and urging political leaders not to overreact to terrorism, which they deem "a tactic, not an enemy."
