The War on Soft Power

In a global age, national power rests less on issuing orders from top of a hierarchy than on being the center of a network. Countries depend on many tools besides military might – skilled diplomats, aid programs, educational and cultural exchanges and so on. Confronting a ballooning deficit, the US has to tackle budget cuts: A deal recently negotiated by Congress makes deep cuts in so-called soft-power programs managed by the US State Department, which represent a small portion of the overall budget – for example, foreign aid represents less than 1 percent – while leaving the hefty Pentagon outlay mostly untouched. This is not the way towards a prosperous, safe future, contends Harvard Professor Joseph Nye, who developed the concept of soft power in the 1990s. Communications, humanitarian aid and other soft-power tools build partnerships over time, expand influence and minimize the need for deploying hard power. Nye concludes that the US could better balance its budget by developing an efficient and balanced smart-power strategy. – YaleGlobal

The War on Soft Power

Even the US military doesn't want to cut the State Department and foreign-aid budget, so why is Congress playing a dangerous game with America's global influence?
Joseph S. Nye Jr.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
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