America is a paradox. It’s a country that can put a man on the moon but can’t fix its own potholes. It leads the world in technological innovation yet makes voting more complicated than setting up a Wi-Fi router. It boasts world-class universities, but in some cities, you can’t always drink the tap water.
So, what’s the secret sauce that keeps America influential on the global stage? It’s not humanitarian aid or model governance. America’s real soft power lies in its unrivaled capacity to shape minds, markets and imaginations.
Every year, more than a million international students flock to American universities, drawn by the prestige of names like Harvard, MIT and Stanford. An American degree isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s a golden passport, opening doors to career opportunities worldwide. But the influence doesn’t stop at America’s borders.
Campuses such as NYU Abu Dhabi, Georgetown Qatar and the American University of Beirut bring American-style education to cities thousands of miles away, seeding future leaders who think in English and dream in dollars. In the 2015-2016 academic year alone, more than 61,000 Saudi students and more than 100,000 Indians were enrolled in American institutions. These students aren’t just learning calculus or computer science — they’re learning the American way of thinking. That’s power.
Look at your phone. Chances are, it’s powered by American ingenuity. From the iPhone in your pocket to AI breakthroughs from OpenAI and Google, the U.S. remains the undisputed king of innovation. The WordPress ecosystem alone powers nearly half the world’s websites. Microsoft is redefining productivity, Meta is shaping digital social interactions, and Tesla is electrifying the future. And let’s not forget SpaceX, which is not just dreaming about Mars but is actively building the rockets to get us there.
America isn’t just leading the tech race; it’s setting the rules of the game. Countries around the world aren’t just buying American products; they’re buying into American ideas of what the future should look like.
American culture is a global lingua franca. Hollywood movies, Netflix originals and global music icons like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift make sure that no matter where you go, someone’s quoting an American TV show or humming a tune from the Billboard charts. It’s not just entertainment; it’s cultural diplomacy.
And then there’s fast food. Nothing says cultural dominance quite like finding a McDonald’s next to Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin or a KFC in the heart of Tokyo. It’s not just about burgers and fries; it’s about exporting a lifestyle, one Big Mac at a time.
Money talks, and the U.S. dollar shouts. Used in nearly 90 percent of global forex transactions, the dollar is the world’s reserve currency, the backbone of international trade. Wall Street remains the financial capital of the world, setting the pace for global markets. Good luck, BRICS.
For all its global influence, America has some spectacularly visible weaknesses. Start with infrastructure. In one of the richest countries on Earth, clean water isn’t always a given. Just ask residents of Flint, Mich., or Jackson, Miss. American airports, roads and bridges are relics compared to the futuristic facilities in Singapore, Dubai or even smaller European nations. JFK Airport might be in New York City, but parts of it feel like you’re arriving in 1985.
Governance isn’t much better. Trust in American institutions has hit rock bottom, with only 22 percent of Americans believing the government will do what’s right. Congress has an approval rating lower than a one-star Yelp review. And democracy? Just 28 percent of Americans think it’s working — which means the other 71 percent are either doom-scrolling or Googling how to move to Portugal.
And don’t even get started on healthcare. Break a leg, and you could be looking at a $30,000 bill. Need an ambulance? You’re better off calling an Uber. The U.S. boasts some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world, but they’re reserved for those who can afford to play this high-stakes game of financial roulette.
America’s soft power doesn’t come from its ability to govern effectively or even from its attempts at humanitarian aid. Its influence stems from its role as the world’s top exporter of ideas, technology and culture. It shapes the global narrative, sets technological standards and defines cultural cool. It’s a country that can launch a startup in a garage that changes the world, a nation where dreams are made, packaged and shipped worldwide. It is the land of creativity, business and innovation.
That’s America’s real soft power — the ideas that it exports, the culture it projects and the future it continues to invent. And as long as America keeps leading in these areas, its influence isn’t going anywhere.
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar is founder and president of Ideas Beyond Borders. Follow him @faisalalmutar.
