America in the Age of Geodiplomacy

Parag Khanna

In all corners of the world-from ministries in Latin America to elite London social clubs, from Gaza refugee camps to the streets of Karachi-vocal, passionate, and sometimes violent resistance is being expressed against the United States's perceived hegemony. Whether the United States preserves or undermines stability, perpetrates or prevents violence, nurtures or hinders social and economic development, the United States's universal presence tends to invite backlash. Regardless of whether one views this presence as legitimate, September 11, 2001 unequivocally resolved any question of whether the United States would engage with the world or isolate itself from foreign commitments and "entangling alliances."

The United States's geopolitical stature has been ascribed to its military might, economic dominance, leadership in the creation and management of multilateral institutions, and its cultural "soft power." During the Cold War, the symbols of American strength-from NATO warplanes to product advertising-won allies and undermined Soviet communism. With the end of the Cold War, the context in which these symbols are perceived has changed drastically. Today, U.S. military might is widely regarded as intrusive, its economic dominance as exploitative, its manipulation of international organizations as self-serving, and its cultural ubiquity as arrogant. If perception reflects reality, an updated strategy to communicate the United States's multifaceted commitments, goals, and intentions is critical. But persuasive communication by itself will be neither the foundation for more effective policies nor the savior of ineffective ones. In both redefining and reasserting itself globally, the United States must: engage international institutions to win support; fully recognize the world's contradictory views of the United States; express its policies coherently and consistently; and devise new diplomatic strategies, beyond coercion and propaganda, to understand and respond to the concerns of others. Moreover, these goals can be accomplished in a manner consistent with a realist view of the national interest.

The new global context of world affairs is Geodiplomacy, the nexus of geopolitics and diplomacy. Geopolitics is no longer limited to states nakedly pursuing their self-interest. Rather, it encompasses a wide range of actors from the private sector, civil society, the media, labor movements, and religious communities who influence decisions of global significance. Diplomacy today encompasses official contacts far beyond accredited ambassadors, as evidenced by the existence of "public" and "track-two" diplomacies. Geodiplomacy is the result of this systemic transformation of world politics into a global political process.

Many new actors influence Geodiplomacy, and they are redefining norms from the ground-up. If consensus on the normative foundations of the post-World War II order has eroded, a common understanding of what principles govern the emerging global polity is even more tentative…

Parag Khanna is Advisor on Global Issues to the World Economic Forum, and Senior Research Analyst in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.