Soft Power and Struggles for Leadership: The United States, Russia and China

Abstract

This article argues that struggles for global leadership and soft power are at the center of gaining consent of the ruled. The United States once led the world in leadership. It is now facing serious challenges because of its own doing. The Iraq War (2003) was a disaster, not just for American power projection, but for its global standing. The political soft power vacuum was an opportunity for great powers. The rise of China and the resurgence of Russia opened new fronts in their quest for global leadership. Without followers, one cannot be a leader. This makes the battle for weak states part of the international system.

Keywords

• foreign policy
• culture
• iraq
• russian soft power
• chinese soft power
• american soft power