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This paper surveys the contemporary political scene in the United States and links today’s partisan divisions to intellectual debates and happenings in recent decades. Does the victory of George W. Bush represent a movement towards the center of the political spectrum or a stalemate resulting from a deeply divided citizenry? These issues are examined in light of debates on liberalism, republicanism, and culture. The United States’ democratic advocacy seems to have been perturbed by the turbulences of American political life.