Overthepastfewyearstherehasbeenanintellectuallycontroversial,strategicallysignificantand politicallychargeddebateastowhetherAmericashould–orshouldnot–becharacterisedasanempire. Morerecently,ithasbecomeequallyfashionabletoarguethatthisempireiseithernowfailingorinsteep decline.Thisessayexaminesthebackgroundtotheoriginal‘empiredebate’,suggeststhatthenotion ofempireisonethatcan(withcare)beappliedtotheUnitedStates,andthatinspiteofrecentsetbacks–likeIraq–weshouldtakecarenottounderestimatetheUScapacitytoshapeworldpolitics.The AmericanEmpiremaybeintrouble,butitisnotabouttofall.