Democracy and empire often seem like competing, even opposing, concepts. And yet since the end of World War II, the United States has integrated elements of both in the process of becoming a dominant global power. Democratic Empire: The United States Since 1945 explores the way democracy and empire have converged and been challenged both at home and abroad, surveying the recent history of the nation through cultural, political, economic, and social history. This account pays particular attention to mass media, the fine arts, and intellectual currents in the era of the American Dream. Concise and engagingly written, Democratic Empire presents a unique analysis of U.S. history since 1945 and the egalitarian and imperial forces that have shaped contemporary America.