Document Type : Original Article

Author

• Mohammad Reza Dehshiri

School of International Relations

Abstract

A close study of the U.S. soft power, during Trump administration in particular, indicates that American vision of power is on the verge of collapse. Trump administration’s domestic and foreign policies have scaled down U.S. influence in international level. This paper intends to provide a response to the question of why the U.S. power is on the decline and what the consequences were. The author is of the opinion that a set of internal and external factors have caused the fall of U.S. soft power. Among internal factors mention should be made of adopting introspective, interest-oriented, militaristic and monopolistic approaches. External factors involved are adopting unilateral, adventurist, interventionist and antagonistic policies as well as a rise in asymmetric threats by non-state armed actors, shift of power from the West to the East and the rise of the newly emerged actors plus the possibility of “bipolar and multi-polar system”. The fall of U.S. soft power had certain consequences such as the elite migration, rising attraction of China and Europe, heated anti-American sentiments, promotion of world terrorism, and Islam-centered alternative attractions.

Keywords

• the U.S
• soft power
• fall
• domestic policy
• foreign policy