World Politics and the American Quest for Super-Villains, Demons, and Bad Guys to Destroy introduces students to basic concepts in world politics to expand their cultural awareness. It addresses common misperceptions and their impact on foreign policy, explores forms of bureaucratic dysfunction in key American agencies, and encourages students to re-conceptualize their perceptions of global villains and bad guys. Readers learn about the building blocks of world politics, transitions from authoritarianism to democracy, the Middle East conflict and its widespread impact, and the long-lasting consequences of war and occupation in Iraq. The text arms readers with the conceptual tools they need to decide for themselves what they believe about vital and perplexing cultural, social, and global issues. Students can leverage these concepts to examine and analyze U.S. foreign and military policy, as well as a variety of global security crises. Highly readable and accessible, World Politics and the American Quest for Super-Villains, Demons, and Bad Guys to Destroy is ideal for introductory courses in global politics.