United States involvement in regime change in the context of "American imperialism"

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA /ˌsiː.aɪˈeɪ/) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and conducting covert operations. The agency is headquartered in the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia, and is sometimes metonymously called "Langley". A major member of the United States Intelligence Community (IC), the CIA has reported to the director of national intelligence since 2004, and is focused on providing intelligence for the president and the Cabinet, though it also provides intelligence for a variety of other entities including the US Military and foreign allies.

The CIA is headed by a director and is divided into various directorates, including a Directorate of Analysis and Directorate of Operations. Unlike the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the CIA has no law enforcement function and focuses on intelligence gathering overseas, with only limited domestic intelligence collection. The CIA is responsible for coordinating all human intelligence (HUMINT) activities in the IC. It has been instrumental in establishing intelligence services in many countries, and has provided support to many foreign organizations. The CIA exerts foreign political influence through its paramilitary operations units, including its Special Activities Center. It has also provided support to several foreign political groups and governments, including planning, coordinating, training and carrying out torture, and technical support. It was involved in many regime changes and carrying out planned assassinations of foreign leaders and terrorist attacks against civilians.

American imperialism or US imperialism is the exercise of power or control by the US outside its borders. It operates through military conquest; military protection; gunboat diplomacy; unequal treaties; support for preferred factions; regime change; economic or diplomatic support; economic interference via private companies, or influence on local culture and media, potentially followed by intervention when American interests are threatened.

American imperialism and expansionism took the form of "New Imperialism" beginning in the late 19th century, although authors such as Daniel Immerwahr consider earlier American territorial expansion across North America at the expense of Native Americans to fit the definition. While the US has never officially identified itself and its territorial possessions as an empire, some commentators have done so, including Max Boot, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., and Niall Ferguson. Other commentators have accused the US of practicing neocolonialism—dominating territory via indirect means—which leverages economic power rather than military force.

American imperialism is the exercise of power or control by the US outside its borders. The US expanded its territory initially via conquest, later shifting to controlling/influencing other countries without conquest, using techniques such as alliances; aid; gunboat diplomacy; treaties; trade; support for preferred political factions; regime change; economic influence via private companies, exports of culture and media. Military interventions have been used to support allies, expel invaders, overthrow governments, and support US economic interests.

American imperialism and expansionism took the form of "New Imperialism" beginning in the late 19th century, although authors such as Daniel Immerwahr consider earlier American territorial expansion across North America at the expense of Native Americans to fit the definition. While the US has never officially identified itself and its territorial possessions as an empire, some commentators have done so, including Max Boot, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., and Niall Ferguson. Other commentators have accused the US of practicing neocolonialism—dominating territory via indirect means—which leverages economic power rather than military force.

The United States has been involved in hundreds of interventions in foreign countries throughout its history, engaging in nearly 400 military interventions between 1776 and 2023, with half of these operations occurring since 1950 and over 25% occurring in the post-Cold War period. Common objectives of U.S. foreign interventions have historically revolved around economic opportunity, protection of U.S. citizens and diplomats, territorial expansion, counterterrorism, fomenting regime change and nation-building, promoting democracy and enforcing international law.

There have been two dominant ideologies in the United States about foreign policy—interventionism, which encourages military and political intervention in the affairs of foreign countries—and isolationism, which discourages these.