Description
Book SynopsisThe defeat of Donald Trump in November 2020 followed by the attack on the US Congress on 6th January 2021 represented a tipping point moment in the history of the American republic. Divided at home and facing a world sceptical of American claims to be the ‘indispensable nation’ in world politics, it is clear that the next few years will be decisive ones for the United States. But how did the US, which was riding high only 30 years ago, arrive at this critical point? And will it lead to the fall of what many would claim has been one of the most successful empires of modern times? In this volume, Michael Cox, a leading scholar of American foreign policy, outlines the ways in which five very different American Presidents – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden – have addressed the complex legacies left them by their predecessors while dealing with the longer-term problems of running an empire under increasing stress. In so doing, he sets out a framework for thinking critically about US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War without ever losing sight of the biggest question of all: can America continue to shape world affairs or is it now facing long-term decline?
Trade Review“With great power comes great responsibility, but as Michael Cox deftly shows in this persuasive account of US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, only when a country’s leaders can turn that power into judicious policy. In an era when American power has outstripped national will, Cox’s balanced assessment of the foreign policy missteps, miscalculations, and lapses it has wrought makes for essential reading. Scholars and students alike will benefit from these penetrating essays on what ails the American colossus.” Peter Trubowitz, Phelan US Centre at LSE
“Written in an easy, conversational style that would make it an ideal introduction for college students, […] Cox’s study also deserves an audience beyond academia.” Financial Times
“An illuminating survey of post-Cold War American foreign policy that will be of great use to students and professors alike.” International Affairs
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Rise of an Empire Part I – Clinton: Liberal Leviathan 1. From Geopolitics to Geo-Economics 2. The Wilsonian Moment? Promoting Democracy 3. Failed Crusade? The United States and Post-Communist Russia Part II – Bush Jnr: Empire in an Age of Terror 4. American Power after the Towers 5. Empire, Imperialism and the Bush Doctrine Part III – Obama: Towards a Post-American World? 6. Navigating the Rapids 7. Stresses across the Atlantic 8. Axis of Opposition: China, Russia and the West Part IV – Trump: Turbulence in the Age of Populism 9. Populism, Trump and the Crisis of Globalization 10. Trump’s World: The Legacy Part V – Biden: Is America Back? 11. After the Deluge or Whither the Empire?
