5 days ago
Soft power delivers big returns, but Trump is slashing it anyway
Studies in many countries show that spending on diplomacy, cultural engagement, and humanitarian relief generates a huge economic return on investment —at least six times greater than the dollars invested.
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The European Union's Creative Europe program produced three to four times the amount invested in cultural diplomacy.
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The United States has not measured its soft power directly, but there is no doubt that it boosts its image by providing humanitarian and disaster aid. In 2003, the United States spent $400 million to help Indonesia recover from the massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Public approval of the United States in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country,
Today, the United States is turning away from such opportunities. What may look like savings through layoffs and grant rescissions will in fact cost billions in lost trade, weakened alliances, and diminished global influence.
In nearly every other policy domain — whether approving a medicine, a public safety regulation, or building new infrastructure — government decisions are informed by cost-benefit analysis. No such analysis has been performed here. If cost-benefit thinking were applied to soft power, it would be clear that the benefits of soft power far outweigh the costs.
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The concept is well understood in the private sector. Businesses spend heavily to acquire 'goodwill' — brand value, reputation, and customer trust. Such intangible assets drive future profits and provide protection against commercial competitors. Governments should treat soft power the same way: as a hedge that reduces economic and military conflict. When nations trust America and see us as a partner rather than a threat, they are far less likely to take hostile actions that would require costly military responses. Soft power investments provide a double dividend that pays off in both economic gains and reduced defense spending.
The full value of America's global engagement may only become evident once it is withdrawn. The Trump administration is working hard to achieve this end. The Trump administration has laid off government scientists, educators, and health experts, including last week's
As the United States slashes its soft power budget,China is scaling up. The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative has committed more than $1 trillion in infrastructure spending. Chinese-funded rail projects in Malaysia,
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The dollar 'savings' that Thune crowed about amount to less than the cost of a single F-35 fighter jet. But a fighter jet can't help refugees, teach Afghan girls to read, or persuade African leaders to choose American over Chinese technology. As Nye pointed out, soft power is easy to squander and difficult to recover. The cuts, combined with the Trump administration's sustained assault on the nation's leading universities, represent a colossal soft power miscalculation. They will cost America global influence that no amount of military spending can replace.
