America's responsibility, America's mission / George W. Bush -- Liberal imperialism / David Rieff -- In defense of empires / Deepak Lal -- The unipolar era / Charles Krauthammer -- America's driver for world domination / David North -- The new Rome / Peter Bender -- New Rome, new Jerusalem / Andrew J. Bacevich -- Universal nation / Jedediah Purdy -- Playground bully / David Marquand -- In search of absolute security / James Chace -- An empire unlike any other / Martin Walker -- What empire? / Victor Davis Hanson -- Sovereignty, empire, capital, and terror / John Milbank -- Sheriff and missionary / Stanley Hoffmann -- Imperial ambitions / G. John Ikenberry -- Imperial limits / Charles S. Maier -- Imperial choices / Stephen Peter Rosen -- A citizen's response / Wendell Berry -- The empire's coming crisis / Gabriel Ash -- Who will do the dirty work? / James Kurth