In The New American Empire, a group of leading authorities on American foreign policy identify the precursors of this new direction in the U.S. overseas ventures of the 20th century. Offering an accessible, critical overview of foreign relations, they assess both the distinct continuities between past and present U.S. policy, as well as what makes the current administration's policies dramatically different. The essays also reveal how those policies serve the ends of favored groups, for whom imperialism pays both ideologically and materially.