The Decline of American Prestige Between 2015 and 2020

Abstract

The rise of the U.S. as a world power kick started after World War II and escalated further after the Cold War had ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since then, the U.S.’s scope continuously grew throughout the globe, spreading her attractive ideals and values. America has always prided in her diplomacy which helped create the unattainable image others could only try to achieve. Soft power, which denotes a country’s ability to use its allure and persuasion to achieve its goals, has been one of the key tools of conducting effective foreign policies. The country’s persistent leadership in the various categories (of soft power) such as government, enterprise, education, culture, and digital made it all the more difficult for any other nation to compete. Although her role and place in the world still stands firm, the U.S., compared to her previous years has seen a decline in her soft power. Various research studies and statistics overlooking countries’ soft power ranking confirm this trend.