This history of America's recent past focuses on the importance of the United States' interaction with the outside world and includes detailed accounts of the presidencies of Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush. * Provides a substantial account of the dramatic history of America since 1980, covering the Reagan years, the Clinton presidency, the impact of 9/11, the War on Terror, and the election of Barack Obama * Based on both secondary and primary resources, and includes research taken from newspapers, magazines, official documents, and memoirs * Written by a distinguished contemporary historian and a leading historian of the United States * Discusses the growing fragmentation of American society and the increasing distance between rich and poor under the impact of public policies and global forces