The period since 2001 has been one of anxiety and uncertainty as the United States has attempted to come to terms with the implications of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the war in Iraq. This entirely new text, written by a team of leading authorities, assesses how well the American system of government and constitution has coped. It also considers the deep cultural and ideological divisions that have emerged in recent years within American society and the changing position and perceptions of America in the world outside.