Why America’s global appeal is in decline

Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power, defined by attraction through culture, political ideals, and legitimate policies, has significantly declined. American culture’s universal appeal is waning, its promotion of values like LGBTQ+ rights alienates traditional societies, and its foreign policy legitimacy is questioned even by allies, leading to a rise in challenges to US dominance.

• American soft power, defined by attraction through culture, values, and legitimate policies, has entered a state of decline.
• The peak of US soft power was under the Clinton and Obama administrations, which promoted democracy and American leadership based on values.
• The decline began before Trump, with the routine use of sanctions, and accelerated under Trump’s ‘America First’ approach, emphasizing hard power.
• The three pillars of American soft power are eroding: culture faces limits in its reach and is seen as a threat to local traditions; values promotion, particularly LGBTQ+ and gender ideology, alienates traditional societies; and US foreign policy legitimacy has broken down, with allies questioning its actions.
• Other nations like China and Russia are moving away from the concept of soft power, developing their own terms like ‘discursive power’ and challenging American influence.
• Despite the decline of soft power as a concept, the US public diplomacy apparatus, a vast network promoting its leadership, will continue to operate, though it may shrink or change language.