The idea that world politics can be understood in terms of a US
dominated unipolarity became generally accepted during the 1990s.
Following the September 11 attacks, however, US foreign policy took
an imperial turn and many began to question the form, style and
substance of US leadership at the start of the 21st Century.

But why is the US behaving as if it lived in a world of enemies?
What can other great powers do to change the behaviour of the US,
and what will be the consequences if they fail? Could the EU and
China become superpowers alongside the US? And what would happen if
the US stepped down from its superpowers role creating a world with
only great powers and no superpowers?

In this important new book, Barry Buzan seeks to provide
answers to these pressing questions. He begins by introducing the
core concepts of polarity and identity in world politics, which he
uses to develop three possible scenarios for the future development
of the international political system. Buzan contends that we are
not living in a strictly unipolar world, where the great powers are
helpless in the face of the US. Instead he argues that the
existence of great powers alongside an American superpower plays a
crucial role in creating both opportunities and responsibilities
which will shape the way in which world politics unfolds in the
coming decades. What the great powers do or don't do will be
crucial to how long US dominance lasts. It will also help determine
whether the period of American hegemony will develop or destroy the
unique multilateral international society built up by US foreign
policy over the last half century.