Throughout the twentieth century the United States has risen to the role of World Power, with its political, cultural, social and economic influence stretching far beyond its own borders. Can the United States’ actions abroad or even within its own boarders be considered imperialistic? To what extent has the United States throughout its history and today been preoccupied with control and what role does the creation of identity play within this? Do the recent NSA leaks and the involvement of the United States in the Middle East come under the umbrella of a past of American imperialism or how else can these be understood? How has the role the United States plays within the world influenced identities and cultures within the United States? Do we simply begin to understand these debates through United States domestic and foreign policies, or can we look to its cultural output to reconfigure our ideas?