is american an empire? why or why not?

Question

I said that America IS an empire but only in some ways. heres the first paragraph for my essay:
“Empire is not quite right but it seems to be closer to anything else we have in common usage, so we employ it.” (Michael Mandelbaum). Mandelbaum does not consider USA an empire, and either does our president. USA has many traits, such as poverty, spread of ideas, and international trade, some of the few traits Rome used to have. Our poor struggle from poverty, just like Rome’s poor did too and we have spread ideas around the world like Rome spread their ideas around Europe. USA is very well considered an empire, but how?

“Empire is not quite right but it seems to be closer to anything else we have in common usage, so we employ it.” (Michael Mandelbaum). Mandelbaum does not consider USA an empire, and either does our president. USA has many traits, such as a strong military nation, spread of ideas, and international trade, some of the few traits Rome used to have. America’s military nation is very strong, just like Rome’s armies and we have spread ideas around the world like Rome spread their ideas around Europe. Rome would trade items or ship items in from Africa or Europe countries, just like we get a lot of stuff made in China. USA is very well considered an empire (although some consider it’s not), but how?
Rome’s military nation was very strong, they took over other countries with ease and successfully protected Rome. The military nation of Rome is like a brand new engine; efficient, effortless, and victorious. Although, they had flaws, the mistakes seemed to be quickly hidden by their success in w

“Empire is not quite right but it seems to be closer to anything else we have in common usage, so we employ it.” (Michael Mandelbaum). Mandelbaum does not consider USA an empire, and either does our president. USA has many traits, such as a strong military nation, spread of ideas, and international trade, some of the few traits Rome used to have. America’s military nation is very strong, just like Rome’s armies and we have spread ideas around the world like Rome spread their ideas around Europe. Rome would trade items or ship items in from Africa or Europe countries, just like we get a lot of stuff made in China. USA is very well considered an empire (although some consider it’s not), but how?
Rome’s military nation was very strong, they took over other countries with ease and successfully protected Rome. The military nation of Rome is like a brand new engine; efficient, effortless, and victorious. Although, they had flaws, the mistakes seemed to be quickly hidden by their success in w

Answer 1

I think it is defenitely a political, military and economic empire, in the sense that it has dominated the world scene for the last 60 years or so. Its position (which might very well change in the decades to come) could be called a 'hegemony' too I suppose.

But if you say empire, I immediately have to think about the 'British empire' and that was off course a collection of colonies ruled by one nation.

Answer 2

America is not an empire. The definition of an "empire" doesn't match as we are not ruled by an emperor or empress. We also do not have imperalist aims because the US is not looking to expand it's territory and control other countries. Sure, there may be some similarities between America today and the Roman empire, but there are still differences.

Look at it this way, say there's a figure that's *like* a square, as it has 4 sides that are the same length. But what if its angles are not all 90 degrees. Is it still a square?

If there's any doubt at all that America isn't an empire, than it isn't, and in this case there is a lot of doubt.

Good luck on your essay (:

Answer 3

America As An Empire

Answer 4

Lack of an Emperor or supreme ruler means that America cannot, by definition, be an Empire. Therefore you will have quite the problem proving that America is an Empire in ANY way when the ONLY way an Empire is defined is invalid. Now you might have some luck if you said that America is an Imperialistic Nation, but you'd then need to research Imperialism.

Answer 5

An empire is by definition a collection of countries under one master government. American has many territories, but none were ever countries.

Answer 6

No, the United States is not an impire.

Imperialism is the domination of one people by another. In modern history this began in the 16th century when national States began to build ‘trading’ empires by establishing colonies.

In the United States imperialism has never consistently commanded support, although the impulse that led to the Mexican War (1846), called ‘Manifest Destiny’ was clearly imperialistic. Some believe that after the Civil War Secretary of State Seward inaugurated an imperial policy in the Pacific by his purchase of Alaska. (1867), however, since it was a purchase the claim falls flat.

The international struggle for new markets and sources of supply led to the cementing of friendly relations with China (later termed the ‘Open Door Policy.’), the building of of an Isthmian canal, the annexation of Hawaii, and control over selected pacific Islands. The war with Spain led to the annexation by the U.S. of Puerto Rico, the Philippines,a nd Guam.

After 1929 the U.S. largely modified or abandoned its imperialistic policy, in part because imperialism never paid the expected dividends, but chiefly because the demand for independence among colonial peoples everywhere met increasing response in a nation once itself a colony.

Imperialism as an expansion of influence seeking to control or manipulate the internal and external policies of a nation can also be cultural, economic, linguistic, political, or religious in nature.

Answer 7

America has a mainland (like Rome) and little "providences" which we control or have partically control.
We have influnce all over the nation, we are a very strong miltery nation, our culture has become widespread, everybody wants to live here, must like they did in Rome's time. It's very much an empire, there's no other way to describe it.