Vivian S. Walker
There is a growing argument—implicit in policy, explicit in practice—that soft power has outlived its usefulness as an instrument of American statecraft. Defined as the ability to shape preferred outcomes through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion, soft power appears increasingly out of step with a foreign policy that prizes disruption and aggressive domination.
The first months of the current administration offer a stark illustration.
In rapid succession, the administration moved to dismantle key elements of U.S. soft power: eviscerating foreign assistance programs, restricting international student visas, constraining educational and cultural exchanges, shuttering international broadcasting, and curtailing interagency efforts to counter disinformation. These are not marginal adjustments. They represent a systematic contraction of the United States’ capacity to make a credible and compelling case for its policies and behaviors in the global information space.
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