Is the U.S. 'empire' beginning to show cracks?

The United States has a long but deliberately obscured history of empire and colonization, evident in its control over territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, which are often excluded from mainstream narratives. Historian Daniel Immerwahr argues that American empire is not metaphorical but literal, with millions of non-voting U.S. subjects still living in overseas territories. The current geopolitical moment, marked by Trump-era foreign policy and declining hegemony, may signal a transition from unilateral American dominance to a more multilateral world order.

It reframes U.S. history and foreign policy by centering the often-ignored reality of American imperialism and its ongoing consequences.

1. 01The U.S. has governed millions of people in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines without full political rights, a reality rarely taught in standard U.S. history.
2. 02American empire differs in form from European models but is no less real, with lasting cultural, infrastructural, and political imprints on colonized regions.
3. 03The decline of U.S. global dominance could lead to either global instability or a more equitable, multilateral international system.