Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-221) and index.

No superpower is too big to fail -- Beltway follies -- Domestic fault lines : indebtedness and inequities -- Domestic fault lines : the comfort zone of mediocrity -- An unsustainable U.S. foreign policy -- The first major external challenge to America's superpower status : the rise of competitor nations -- An emerging external threat to America's superpower status : the combination of globalization, technology change, and creative destruction -- America's strengths and a plan for renewal -- The United States in 2050.

Examines the biggest challenges to the status of the United States as a world superpower, looks at whether or not a relative decline is inevitable, and offers suggestions related to defense policy, health care, education, and the environment.