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Empires have unfairly gotten a bad name, not least in U.S. domestic politics. This is particularly unfortunate, as the world needs an American pax to provide both global peace and prosperity. The most urgent task in the new imperium is to bring the world of Islam into the modern world, without seeking to alter its soul. In this monograph, Deepak Lal gives reasons to believe the United States should be able to fulfill this imperial task. But is it willing? Given the continuing resonance of Wilsonian moralism in public discourse, Lal is doubtful. There must first be an acceptance in domestic politics that the United States is an imperial power, and then the real debate about how best to use that power can sensibly ensue.

Deepak Lal is James S. Coleman Professor of International Development Studies at the University of California–Los Angeles and Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at University College in London. He is the author of numerous articles and books on economic development and public policy.

The Henry Wendt Lecture Series

In Defense of Empires was the 2002 Henry Wendt Lecture delivered at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2002. The Wendt Lecture is delivered annually by a scholar who has made major contributions to our understanding of the modern phenomenon of globalization and its consequences for social welfare, government policy, and the expansion of liberal political institutions.

Other books in the Henry Wendt Lecture Series:

• Growth and Interaction in the World Economy
• The Political Economy of World Mass Migration