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The Trump Administration and Soft Power [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-03-22

The Donald Trump Administration is currently alienating our country from the world.

It certainly doesn’t distinguish between the United States friends and foes. The administration has proposed shuttering USAID and cutting some of the State Department’s critical diplomatic programs; it has also announced tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China. Scholar Borja Santos Porras noted the cuts to diplomatic programs may lead to modest savings. However, the long-term damage to our reputation abroad will likely outweigh any such gains, as stated by Writer Joel Abrams in his story, “How Trump’s Foreign Aid and Diplomatic Cuts Will Make It Harder for the US to Wield Soft Power to Maintain Its Friendships and Win New Ones.”

Abrams feels the Trump cuts are undermining our soft power - non-military power. He provides a precise definition: “Soft power is the ability of nations, in this case the US, to use its appeal to induce cooperation.” In other words, it is a strategy to get others to do what the US government wants them to do without resorting to coercion.

Since the end of World War II, soft power has played a significant role in American foreign policy. Joseph S. Nye Jr., a professor at Harvard University, coined the concept of soft power in 1990. This form of power refers to a nation's ability to influence other countries in pursuit of its interests without resorting to coercion or intimidation. The central idea is that others are likely to be compelled to engage in friendly behaviors, such as adopting a more favorable trade stance or investing in your country, when they understand your needs and have warm feelings toward you.

The core benefit of soft power lies in its lower cost compared to hard power. It’s an alternative to hard power strategies, such as tariffs, sanctions, or even the threat of military force. Hard power requires the maintenance of a strong military to coerce or bully others through forceful interactions and to mitigate threats continually.

Soft power is a product of how others perceive the nation’s culture, including its internal and external economic, social, and political values and policies. If others generally have affinity and respect for a country's culture, they are more likely to listen to you, respect your positions and interests, and follow your example. The goal is to establish a long-term relationship that is not founded on coercion or control.

Abrams discussed the history of soft power in the US: “To (wield soft power), the US has since the 1960s used the distribution of foreign aid through USAID as central to the promotion of a positive image of itself to others. Over the past 60 years, USAID has worked to eradicate or combat smallpox, polio, and malaria; it has worked to decrease infant and maternal mortality rates and contributed to the overall decrease of global rates of extreme poverty and food insecurity. Such actions, combined with the broader appeal of the US economy and popular culture, have produced a world where the US government frequently gets what it wants without having to resort to hard power. In contrast with a nation like China that relies much more on coercive economic relationships, the US has been effective at maintaining an extensive network of friends with common values and interests. At this time, the Chinese approach is beginning to make inroads with some African and Asian nations, which, I argue, makes it even more critical for the U.S. to maintain its soft power presence.”

Mr. Abrams also discussed the economic repercussions of soft power, citing a 2017 study conducted by three professors at Drexel LeBow College of Business. The study found that every spot a nation dropped in a ranking of global reputations resulted in a 2% decrease in export volume to that nation. They found that a move up the rankings produced an equally positive result.

Nye advocated a foreign policy that emphasizes diplomatic engagement, development projects through programs like USAID and the State Department, and collaboration with friends and allies. What do we see in the second Trump Administration? Transactional thinking, the abandonment of allies, and authoritarianism - a recipe for disaster when it comes to the elements of soft power, including establishing international norms, protecting the US's reputation (sometimes through foreign aid), and fostering international norms that lead to peace.

Jason Sibert is the Lead Writer of the Peace Economy Project

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