Since the end of the Second World War the US dollar has played a central role in the global economy.  During the 21st century the US government has extensively leveraged the associated importance of the US financial system to secure foreign policy objectives.  That activity and concerns about US fiscal responsibility have recently prompted other governments and non-state actors to seek alternatives to the dollar and to the US financial system.  This half-day symposium will explore how the US has used the dollar and the US financial system as a source of power and assess the challenges to the continued centrality of the dollar and the US financial system and consider what that means for US power.