This book provides a lively and readable introduction to current debates over U.S. power and purpose in world affairs. The end of the Cold War launched a new era in U.S. foreign policy. The United States entered a period of unprecedented global power, but one also characterized by new conflicts, challenges, and controversies. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq cast a spotlight on continuing debates over how the United States should best use its considerable international power to secure safety for Americans and stability in the...