The War on Terrorism and the American ’Empire’ after the Cold War

The American-led "war on terror" has arguably brought about the most significant shift in the contours of the international system since the end of the Cold War. A new "imperial moment" is discernible in US foreign policy in the wake of the neo-conservative rise to power in the USA, marked by the development of a fresh strategic doctrine based on the legitimacy of preventative military strikes on hostile forces across any part of the globe. The contributions in The War on Terror and the American Empire After the Cold War analyze the historical, socio-economic and political dimensions of the current international conjuncture, and assess the degree to which the war on terror has transformed the nature and projection of US global power. Drawing on a range of critical social theories, this collection seeks to ground historically the analysis of global developments since the inception of the new Bush Presidency and weigh up the political consequences of this imperial turn. "The War on Terror and the American Empire After the Cold War is essential reading for those with students and academics with research interests in US History and Politics and Global Politics.

Introduction: The War on Terror and American Empire 1. The Logic of American Power in the International Capitalist Order 2. Reactionary Blowback: The Uneven Ends of the Cold War and the Origins of Contemporary Conflict in World Politics 3. The Intellectual Antecedents of the Bush Regime 4. The Imperial Republic Revisited: The United States in the Era of Bush 5. The Bush Turn and The Drive for Primacy 6. The War on Terrorism and American Empire: Emerging Development Agendas 7. Scenarios of Power