POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of John Erickson, Thomas McHale and Samuel A. Flax,
signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer and/or director of American Capital Strategies, Ltd.
(the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5,
complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and file such form
with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock
exchange or similar authority; and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit
to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it
being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on
behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in
such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such
attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any
of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally present,
with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of
the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming,
any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until
the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5
with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in
securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 9th day of September, 2002.


Signature:  /s/

Print Name: Roland Cline