According to New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman, the U.S. faces four major challenges that threaten to jeopardize the American dream for current and future generations and lessen the U.S.'s standing in the world. Globalization, the revolution in information technology, climate change, and chronic deficits are the serious problems that must be addresses immediately; here, Friedman argues for a plan to revitalize the U.S. and its standing in the global community.
Michael Mandelbaum is the Christian A. Herter Professor of American Foreign Policy and director of the American Foreign Policy Program at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Mandelbaum is a former faculty member at Harvard University, Columbia University, and the U.S. Naval Academy. His many publications include: *The Frugal Superpower: America’s Global Leadership in a Cash-Strapped Era* (2010);* Democracy's Good Name: The Rise and Risks of the World's Most Popular Form of Government* (2007); *The Case for Goliath: How America Acts as the World's Government in the 21st Century* (2006); and *The Meaning of Sports: Why Americans Watch Baseball, Football and Basketball and What They See When They Do* (2004).