A group of neo-conservatives dominate and drive the ideology of the Bush Administration. Often called, neo-cons, many of them were former Democrats who switched teams early in the Reagan era. They use words like robust and muscular to describe their vision of how the US should conduct itself in the world. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, they saw their goal of global hegemony within their grasp. They created the Project for a New American Century. One thing held them back, political power. With the selection of George Bush in 2000, that all changed. They were now in the driver's seat occupying the most powerful positions in government. The neo-cons are the architects of and advocates for first strike attacks on other countries.

Zia Mian
Zia Mian is professor in the program on Science and Global Security at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton. A native of Pakistan, he is an expert on international war and peace issues. His work appears in leading scholarly journals and magazines.