Open Access#12018
The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order
What role should the United States play in contemporary international politics? This question, or rather debate, began at the end of the Cold War and has never really concluded. It is a unique debate because while everyone disagrees on the question, all agree on its sub- stance—the United States is the preem- inent power in the world. People refer to the United States by various names: the lone superpower, the unipolar mo- ment, Pax Americana, and from some of its erstwhile allies and former ene- mies, the unilateral hegemon or hyperpower.
