The American image can be broken down into three parts: the image America has of the world in general, the American image of its role in the world, and the image the world has of America. The most timely aspects of those American images are exemplified in relations between the U.S. and that amorphous area sometimes referred to as the Middle East and sometimes as the Arab world.
This paper examines Middle East-American images as a crucial case study of U.S.-international relations, drawing data from a variety of articles, polls, and databases. It questions the American image of the world, the American image of its own role in the world (spreading democracy or building an empire?), and the image the world has of the United States. Its conclusions are sobering.