Since 9/11, the United States has abandoned its implied foreign policy of minimal international engagement. Instead, it has undertaken one of the most ambitious and risky ventures in the history of international affairs: the quests to bring democracy to Afghanistan and Iraq. America may see itself as a reluctant empire, but the Bush administration's policies have pushed the country toward becoming the very thing it claims to fear being -- an imperial power. Is it possible for this historic gamble to succeed? Or will the relentless push for democracy sow the seeds of religious conflict, state failure, and regional instability? In "American Power, " some of the world's finest academics, journalists, and intellectuals ponder these questions and others in essays that challenge readers to think beyond the evening news. Reflecting many points of view, these essays all explore the limits and potential of American power in the Middle East.