In this striking analysis of American global dominance, Lipschutz (Global Politics as if People Mattered
) explores the formal and unwritten rules behind what he regards as an economic and political hegemony of unprecedented scope. This American-guided “Imperium” (as opposed to just empire, which for Lipschutz carries misleadingly limited territorial connotations) is “a mechanism of global discipline and order” that, while centered in Washington, incorporates various centers of state and suprastate power—including allied governments and institutions like NATO and the WTO. Its roots run far back, but it advanced considerably in practical and formal ways post-9/11, when the Bush administration declared what German political theorist Carl Schmitt called a state of “exception” to expand the sovereign authority of the executive, buttressed by a global economic system founded on the dollar. This is a fascinating and vital addition to literature on globalization, empire, citizenship and international law; a sure bet for readers interested in the true limits of, and prospects for, “change” in a new American administration. (Apr.)
