The Pioneer of Soft Power: A Farewell to Joseph Nye, Aficionado of Influence and Attraction
'88-year-old Joseph Nye, renowned American political scientist and creator of the 'Soft Power' idea, passes away.' - Renowned political scientist Joseph Nye passes away at 88 years old.
Step into the world of international relations, and you'll bump into the name Joseph Nye—the man who coined the term "Soft Power." Born in 1937 and departing in 2026 at the age of 88, Nye spent his life exploring the intricacies of global politics from the hallowed halls of Harvard University. Over the span of five decades, Nye authored 14 books, penned more than 200 scholarly articles, and served under the presidential administrations of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in the realm of national security.
Taking center stage with his Soft Power concept in the 1980s, Nye introduced an alternative to the traditional focus on military strength and economic sanctions as means of exerting power. Soft Power, in his words, is the knack of getting others to want what you want, absent the hard-edged tactics of Hard Power that we usually associate with state power factors.
In modern times, as the US president Donald Trump bodies into his second term, Soft Power has taken a turn for the worse. Trump's move towards a more authoritarian approach has been evident in his scaling back of Soft Power measures. A prime example is his restrictions on foreign aid and the crackdown on international students within the US.
In a conversation with AFP in February before his passing, Nye remarked that Trump "doesn't really understand power." According to the esteemed professor, Trump is misguided in equating short-term results with long-term effects, bolstering a myopic view that overlooks the potential negative consequences of hard power tactics, like tariff threats, which might bring immediate success but provoke long-term resentment among allies.
Throughout his career, Nye mainly focused on nuclear policy during his tenure with the Carter and Clinton administrations. His contributions in this area extended beyond academic theorizing, with fellow Harvard colleague Graham Allison describing him as a key player in preventing a nuclear war.
Nye's Soft Power Legacy and Trump's Impact
To fully comprehend the effect of Donald Trump's foreign policy on U.S. Soft Power, let's delve into the three fundamental components of Soft Power that Nye outlined: attractive values, perceptions of policy competence, and cultural attraction:
- Attractive Values: Trump's administration's policies have been criticized for dismantling democratic values and human rights, further tarnishing the image of the United States abroad. The revocation of support for institutions like the Peace Corps, Voice of America, USAID, traditionally perceived as shining examples of U.S. Soft Power, has contributed to this slander[3]. Moreover, Trump's approach to international affairs enforces unilateral action and authoritarian tendencies, amplifying the blow to the attractiveness of American values abroad[1][3].
- Perceptions of Policy Competence: The muddled nature of Trump's foreign policy decisions has been a matter of concern, as allies and adversaries alike struggle to pinpoint a consistent U.S. diplomatic strategy. Trump's policies have undermined perceptions of U.S. policy competence[3].
- Cultural Attraction: Trump's trade disputes with countries like China and Brazil have led to limitations on Hollywood films, traditionally a significant component of the U.S.'s Soft Power, as these movies have historically promoted American culture worldwide[4]. Additionally, the administration's efforts to lessen funding for cultural and educational exchanges may result in fewer opportunities for foreigners to engage directly with American culture and values[2].
In contrast to Soft Power, Trump has also placed emphasis on strengthening Hard Power elements, such as increased military spending, and imposing conditions on foreign aid to secure specific concessions from recipient countries. This approach has encouraged allies' perceptions of self-interest over shared values or global stability[5].
In essence, Trump's policies may have amplified U.S. Hard Power through increased military spending and conditionality of aid, but his emphasis on authoritarianism and unilateralism has significantly undermined the Soft Power of the United States on the world stage.
- In contrast to Nye's Soft Power concept, Donald Trump's administration has prioritized Hard Power, evident in increased military spending and conditionalized foreign aid.
- Nye's three components of Soft Power - attractive values, perceptions of policy competence, and cultural attraction - have been adversely affected by Trump's policies, particularly the revocation of support for cultural and educational exchanges, and inconsistent diplomatic strategies.
- Trump's emphasis on unilateral action and trade disputes, such as restrictions on Hollywood films, may limit cultural attraction, hindering the promotion of American values and culture abroad.
- Joseph Nye, who died aged 88 in 2026, asserted that Trump "doesn't really understand power," critiquing the president's short-term approaches and potential negative long-term consequences of hard power tactics.
