America at 250: Is the Empire Dying?

As America celebrates its semi-quincentennial, questions are growing about whether its best days are behind it. Rising debt, political polarisation, military overstretch, the emergence of China, and a shifting global balance of power have all raised doubts about the future of the American-led international order. As the United States reaches its 250th birthday, is it witnessing the beginning of a new era of renewal—or the slow decline of an empire?