In this seminar we will explore the tension between how U.S. citizens perceive themselves and how, and why, the rest of the world perceives us in a different, and often less flattering, light. At its core, this seminar will focus on the uneasy relationship between the liberal political culture and institutions of the United States and the power-centric and nationalistic ideals that have traditionally governed our country’s foreign policy. Particular emphasis will be placed on the motivations and tactics that have fueled the expansionist ambitions of our society over the past 400 years and the forces, both domestic and foreign, which have sought to limit both the size and scope of the “American Empire”. We will also examine both the political and moral implications associated with being the world’s first global “empire” as well as the social, economic and political forces contributing to anti-American sentiment and political action in Latin America, Asia and the Islamic world since the turn of the 20th century.