The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone

by Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Book Overview

What role should America play in the world? What key challenges face us in the century to come, and how should we define our national interests? These questions have been given electrifying new significance in the wake of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.
Not since Rome has any nation had so much economic, cultural, and military power, but that power is still not enough to solve global problems like terrorism, environmental degradation,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195150880
• ISBN13: 9780195150889
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 9.4" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

The paradox is a problem; Nye has some answers

Although 40 people have reviewed Nye's book thus far, no one has directly quoted Nye's clearest expression on what the PARADOX of American power is. What is the paradox about America's power? The thesis is at the end of the 1st chapter. "The paradox of America power at the end of this millennium is that it is too great to be challenged by any other state, yet not great enough to solve problems such as global terrorism and nuclear proliferation. America needs the help and respect of other nations" (pg. 40; Nye borrows this, adeptly, from Sebastian Mallaby). In order to earn the "help and respect of other nations" America needs, what Nye calls, "soft power." "Soft power rests on the ability to set the political agenda in a way that shapes the preferences of others" (pg. 9). Soft power is needed now more than ever, because hard power (e.g. military force) is becoming less relevant in this technological revolution the world is undergoing. "Today the foundations of power have been moving away from the emphasis on military force and conquest" (pg. 5). Soft power and the information age are the two topics Nye deals with primarily and skillfully. There are 2 nice quotations which summarize these topics well: On Soft Power - "The countries that are likely to gain soft power in an information age are (1) those whose dominant culture and ideas are closer to prevailing global norms (which now emphasize liberalism, pluralism, and autonomy), (2) those with the most access to multiple channels of communication and thus more influence over how issues are framed, and (3) those whose credibility is enhanced by their domestic and international performance" (pg. 69). On the Information Age - "...power in a global information age is distributed like a three-dimensional chess game. The top military board is unipolar, with the United States far outstripping all other states, but the middle economic board is multipolar, with the United States, Europe, and Japan accounting for two-thirds of world product, and the bottom board of transnational relations that cross borders outside the control of governments has a widely dispersed structure of power" (pg. 140).

Brilliant Indictment of Arrogant Unilateralist Thinking

The paradox of American Power, argues Joseph Nye Jr., is that it is too powerful to be defeated militarily yet not powerful enough to meet all of its global challenges by itself. Nye expands this argument in a series of well-researched essays that are as deeply practical as they are intelligent. Few people are probably as uniquely qualified to examine the nature and problems of American power as he is. Nye is the Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Clinton Administration. This man is no ideologue and he knows what he's talking about.Nye's argument is largely a refutation of the simplemindedness demonstrated by a clique of policy makers whom he refers to as the new unilateralists or hegemonists but who are more popularly known today as neoconservatives. Because these people are infatuated with military aggression, argues Nye, they fail to understand that power is a complex phenomenon best understood in terms of its "hard" and "soft" components. Hard power consists of military and economic leverage while soft power contains less obvious but no less significant components such as cultural appeal, universally respected values, opportunities, and policies that are tied to global interest as much as national gain. Nye correctly argues that the great empires of the past including the United States ruled through a skillful application of both hard and soft power. To jettison our soft power because our leaders are so enamored of hard power, argues Nye, is a colossal blunder.Nye also argues that power is distributed on different levels some of which require cooperation with other nations and some of which don't. He elaborates by describing American power in terms of a three level chessboard. On the top level of the chessboard, which constitutes military power, the United States is preeminent and can act unilaterally. The middle level, which constitutes economic power, however is multi-polar. In this area the United States must act in concert with a select group of other players such as Japan, China, France, Germany, India, and others. The bottom level of the chessboard constitutes trans-national issues that occur with no regard to national boundaries. In these areas, which include international finance and the actions of stateless organizations, including terrorists, the United States can only act in an inclusive global fashion. In a recent article in Foreign Affairs Magazine, Nye criticized the Bush Regime for its nearly exclusive focus on the first level of the chessboard and described its policy makers as one-dimensional thinkers in a three dimensional chess game.Nye reinforces his argument by explaining the impact that contextual developments such as the information revolution and globalization have on American power. The information revolution, argues Nye, circumvents borders and challenges state sovereignty and control. America is both a product and a beneficiary of globalizati

Concise and accurate analysis of the role of America Today

Nye makes very compelling arguments about the erosion of traditional power contained in the American economy and military, and that in the years to come, a third type of power (soft power: the ability to make others want to do what you want them to do) will become extremely important if America is to hold its current place of power and prestige. And in order to do this, it is necessary to stop acting unilaterally and show the world that we are willing to work cooperatively to address those problems that are occurring on a global scale. I won't go into all of his arguments, but they are all airtight and well documented. The one complaint I have with the book is some of the economic analysis (regression to pre-industrial PCI as an indicator of economic power is flawed and I personally don't agree with the idea that industrializing states are benefitted by open markets) is wrong. Regardless, this is an excellent book that succeeds very well in explaining the situation the United States currently occupies, and what pitfalls to avoid and which policies to adapt in order for America to continue to weild influence on a global scale.

The US is at crossroads: Unilateralism vs Multilateralism

The Paradox of American Power is about a crucial question, why the world's only superpower can't go it alone? In his work, Joseph S. Nye makes a well-done analysis of the U.S foreign policy in the age of information revolution and globalization. He has several crucial insights in regard to American foreign policy centering on diverging perspectives of unilateralism and multilateralism. As Nye frequently points out in his study, the uni-multi debate is one of the most crucial issues for the U.S foreign policy now and years to come. Nye basically suggests that the United States should not act unilaterally in world affairs even if it is the world's only superpower. He makes the point that a multilateral pattern of foreign policy will be the best option not only for stability of international system but also for American national interests. The author argues that unilateralism is a danger for the U.S foreign policy since it has a considerable tendency to harm U.S relations with the rest of the world. In this respect, Nye recommends, the United States should follow a multilateral foreign policy, in which it takes place in international institutions and participates in multilateral treaties. Otherwise, Nye says, the United States will face a serious resentment and balancing behavior by the others. In this respect, he draws attention towards the recent U.S unilateralist acts such as dispension with the UN and rejection of several multilateral treaties including the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and treaty on establishing International Court of Justice. Joseph S. Nye extensively talks about the reasons why the US can't go it alone. The changing global landscape in the age of information revolution and globalization, Nye says, is the primary reason for why it can't go it alone. A unilateral drive will lead to significant opposition by the rest of the world and it will considerably undermine its "soft power'. Nye gives significant attention towards "soft power" while he also holds military and economic power important. For this reason, he criticizes sovereignists who only consider "hard power" and champion unilateralism as the number one foreign policy pattern for the US. The Paradox of American Power seems to be remaining in the center of many foreign policy debates since it well touches upon a significant issue of U.S foreign policy now and years and even decades to come. The uni-multi debate, which constitutes the core of this book, makes it quite relevant for both students of American foreign policy and scholars of global politics. This elegant book is recommended for the informed public alike.

The Ambiguities and Complexities of American Power

Not since Roman Empire has any nation had so much economic, cultural and military power, yet that power alone will not be sufficient to solve the world's problems.Joseph Nye, Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, presents a three-pronged strategy for maintaining the United States' standing in the world while reducing its vulnerability in the years to come.He argues this power will last far into the 21st Century, but only if we learn to exercise it wisely. Power in this new century will rest on a mix of what he defines as "hard" and "soft" resources. The greatest mistake we can make as a world power is to allow ourselves to become the victim of one-dimensional analysis, believing that investment in military power alone with ensure our strength.Paying attention to "soft" power, the former Chairman of the National Intelligence Council and Assistant Defense Secretary in the Clinton Administration argues, will co-opt people rather than coerce them. Military and economic power can be used to influence or threaten other people and country's positions once they are taken. Soft power however, rests on the ability to set the political agenda in a way that shapes preferences. It is the ability to entice and attract. It stems, in large part, from our values -- the policies we follow inside our country and the way we handle ourselves abroad. It recognizes that power in the information age is less tangible and coercive.There is also a benefit to not going it alone. While an inequality of power, he says, has often led to peace, because there is no point in declaring war on a more powerful state, it causes some countries to chafe. Effective global governance requires a powerful state to take the lead. By encouraging or nourishing regional pockets of strength and acting with restraint or in combination with others, the impact of American power is softened. Whether other countries unite to balance American power depends as much on how the United States behaves as the power resources of the potential challengers.The key to maintaining American supremacy in the years ahead, Nye argues, will rest in our ability to share power as well as to lead.