The crisis of American soft power

ABSTRACT

Despite the election of Joseph Biden in 2020, Donald Trump’s presidency has had a significant impact on U.S. politics and its role in the world. Specifically, Trump’s tenure laid bare a crisis of American soft power--the ability to influence others through attraction--which is a critical element of global leadership. This paper analyzes the long-term impact of Trump’s time in office on America’s soft power. While Biden’s response to the Ukraine crisis has reversed a precipitous decline in global percpetions of U.S. leadership, Trump’s tenure (and potential return) remains a persistent, negative influence unlikely to dissipate over time.

KEYWORDS:

• Soft power
• U.S. foreign policy
• hegemony
• perceptions
• Donald Trump

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David W. Kearn

David W. Kearn, Jr. is Associate Professor in the Department of Government & Politics at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. His research interests include international relations theory, U.S. foreign and defense policy, military innovation, nuclear weapons, and arms control.