Post-America: How and Why the United States Is Changing

What did those who “collected America”—from the first pioneers and inventors to diplomats and adventurers—dream of, and what did they strive for? And what are today’s Americans looking for?

In a book prepared for the 250th anniversary of the United States, American studies scholar Maksim Suchkov examines the phenomenon of “Post-America”—a country in a new condition, where earlier ideas have changed, taken on other meanings, or run into crisis. This is not a dry political science treatise; it is a story of the history of the United States through the people who created it and through those who inherited their plans.

Maksim Suchkov is a Candidate of Political Sciences, a specialist in American studies, director of the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia). He is a publicist and the author of the popular blog about international relations “Post-America.”

In 2026, the United States marks 250 years of independence. Over a quarter of a millennium, the ideas from which the country was once formed have changed significantly: some have evolved, others have turned into something new, still others have acquired additional meanings or shown cracks. The author’s task is to grasp the logic and direction of this movement and describe the nature of the phenomenon he calls “Post-America”—an America of a different quality.

Ideas do not exist on their own: they live in the people who formulate them, spread them, and bring them to life. That is why the book is also about the “old,” present-day, and future Americans. Writers and philosophers, engineers and travelers, entrepreneurs and soldiers, diplomats, activists, and swindlers—everyone who “built America” then and is building it now. What were they seeking and what did they believe when they wrote texts, started wars, launched businesses, and explored vast stretches of the continent? Were the heirs able to hold on to their legacies, improve them—or distort them? And what do ordinary (and not so ordinary) Americans live with today—residents of megacities and of the outback: what do they say, what are they interested in, where do they go, and, most importantly, what does all of this tell us about the society and the state of the United States?

Finally, this is a conversation about the future of America—not in the familiar fork “will it hold together or fall apart,” but about which themes, conflicts, and—yes—ideas America and the world will move toward together and separately until the end of this century. No matter how you feel about the United States, the future of the rest of the world is connected to its future just as closely as the country’s past is tied to its present. The author undertakes an ambitious—perhaps overly complex—task: to portray America in all three of its time dimensions at once.

“American politics under Trump resembles a carnival sideshow where everything is exaggerated to capture the public’s attention. Behind the flashy and often tasteless performance—there is a thick jumble. From the grotesque role of the central character to the cold calculation of the showrunners, from a long public tradition to an instant bid for a fashionable innovation. Maksim Suchkov produces a masterful deconstruction of the tangled plot, turning the self-expression of the creators crowding the stage into a coherent cultural-historical libretto.”
Fedor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Russia in Global Affairs”

“When the United States so strongly wants to stay alone with itself and keep an eye on itself, it becomes important to watch over it. Maksim Suchkov does this with as much attentiveness as brilliance. His “Post-America” is perhaps the best analysis of American flights—in sleep and in daylight.”
Valentin Bogdanov, own correspondent of VGTRK in the United States (New York)

“A multifaceted study of the origins and driving forces of internal development within American society and their impact on the main directions of U.S. policy. A successful combination of a meticulous academic approach to the subject of study and a lively exposition of the material. This makes the work not only in demand among the expert community, but also educational for a wide range of readers.”
Mikhail Konarovsky, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, member of the Russian International Affairs Council

“‘Post-America’ immerses the reader in the political life and everyday problems of American society, which would seem to have long been studied by historians and sociologists. This journey invites you to look at the country across the ocean without stereotypes and ready-made clichés.”
Dmitry Rosenthal, Director of the Institute of Latin America (ILA) of the Russian Academy of Sciences

“Even if you think you know everything about the United States, in this book you will definitely find what will surprise you and make you think anew about what is happening in this country today.”
Viktoria Zhuravlyova, Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences