Joseph S. Nye

2008

"The Future of American Power"

Book Chapter

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"It is generally agreed that the United States is the leading power at the beginning of the twenty-first century, but there is less agreement on how long this will last. Some observers argue that American pre-eminence is simply the result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and that this 'unipolar moment' will be brief, while others argue that America's power is so great that it will last for much of the coming century...."

December 18, 2007

"Recovering America's 'Smart Power'"

Op-Ed, The Korea Times

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"Democracy, human rights, and the development of civil society do not come from the barrel of a gun. True, the American military has impressive operational capacity, but turning to the Pentagon because it can get things done creates an image of an over-militarized foreign policy."

December 10, 2007

"Big Tent"

Op-Ed, The New Republic

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"...in recent years, Qaddafi has appeared to be changing. He still wants to project Libyan power, but he is going about it differently than in decades past. Where once he had tried to bully and even overthrow governments to his south, now he is hosting peace talks on Darfur....Has Qaddafi really changed? It is difficult to know for sure.... his future actions will speak louder than any current words. But there is no doubt that he acts differently on the world stage today than he did in decades past."

AP Photo

December 10, 2007

"Stop Getting Mad, America. Get Smart"

Op-Ed, Washington Post

By Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"...security threats are no longer simply military threats. China is building two coal-fired power plants each week. U.S. hard power will do little to curb this trend, but U.S.-developed technology can make Chinese coal cleaner, which helps the environment and opens new markets for American industry

In a changing world, the United States should become a smarter power by once again investing in the global good — by providing things that people and governments want but cannot attain without U.S. leadership."

December 5, 2007

The Shifting Balance of Power

Media Feature

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow, The Dubai Initiative, Vali Nasr, Senior Fellow, Dubai Initiative and Dr. Ashton B. Carter, Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project (on leave), Harvard & Stanford Universities

"The Middle East: Between Progress and Conflict," an inaugural conference jointly hosted by The Dubai Initiative and the Dubai School of Government, was held on November 8, 2007 at the Kennedy School of Government.

Panel I: The Shifting Balance of Power was chaired by Joseph Nye and featured the following presentions, followed by a Q&A:

1. America and the Arab World - Rami Khouri
2. Contending with Iran's Regional Role - Vali Nasr
3. Challenges of Nuclear Proliferation - Ashton Carter

November 28, 2007

"Don't Dismiss the Might of the UN"

Op-Ed, The Independent Financial Review, (New Zealand)

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"...the UN has considerable soft power that arises from its ability to legitimise the actions of states, particularly regarding the use of force. People do not live wholly by the word, but neither do they live solely by the sword. For example, the UN could not prevent the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but the absence of its imprimatur greatly raised the costs to the American and British governments."

November 14, 2007

"Afterword: Election '08, Smart Power '09"

Report Chapter

By Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"We believe that the United States must become a smarter power by reinvesting in the global good — providing things people and governments in all quarters of the world want but cannot attain in the absence of U.S. leadership. Providing for the global good helps America reconcile its overwhelming power with the rest of the world's interests, values, and aspirations. It is not charity. It is effective foreign policy."

November 14, 2007

"The Impressive—But Limited—Soft Power of the United Nations"

Op-Ed, Daily Star

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

"The UN has impressive power — both hard and soft — when states agree on policies under Chapter 7 of the Charter. It has modest but useful soft power when great powers disagree but are willing to acquiesce in a course of action. And it has very little power when the great powers oppose an action, or repressive member governments ignore the claims of the new "responsibility to protect." In such cases, it makes no sense to blame the UN. Soft power is real, but it has its limits. The fault lies not with the UN, but with the lack of consensus among member states."

November 7, 2007

"Smart Power and the U.S. Strategy for Security in a Post-9/11 World"

Testimony

By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and Richard Armitage

Joseph S. Nye and Richard Armitage testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Hearing on Smart Power and the U.S. Strategy for Security in the Post-9/11 World

November 6, 2007

CSIS Commission on Smart Power: A Smarter, More Secure America

Report

By Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

In 2006, CSIS launched a bipartisan Commission on Smart Power to develop a vision to guide America's global engagement. This report lays out the commission's findings and a discrete set of recommendations for how the next president of the United States, regardless of political party, can implement a smart power strategy.