US Soft Power: Retreat or Reinvention?
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Building E40, 496, Suffolk
Soft power — the ability to influence others through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or inducements — has long been regarded as an important diplomatic tool for advancing US values and interests abroad. Recent foreign policy developments, however, have renewed debate over its usefulness. The current US administration has scaled back the established instruments that helped generate US goodwill and influence abroad, including programs to promote democracy and the rule of law; educational and cultural exchanges; and US broadcasting networks such as the Voice of America. This talk analyzes how US diplomats have deployed soft power in practice and how it has evolved since the end of the Cold War. Is the United States retreating from soft power, or can it be reinvented for a 21st-century world of rapid technological change and great-power competition? And does the United States still have the credibility and institutional capacity to deploy it effectively? Richard M Mills Jr. is the Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow for 2026–2027. He served as US ambassador to Nigeria from 2024 to 2026, following earlier appointments as ambassador to Armenia and US deputy permanent representative to the UN. During his diplomatic career spanning more than three decades, he held numerous positions, including chargé d’affaires ad interim at the US Mission to Canada and the US Embassy in Malta, deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Lebanon, senior democracy adviser at the US Embassy in Iraq, and energy attaché at the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia. He also served on former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s executive staff. He holds a BA from Georgetown University, a law degree from the University of Texas, and an MA from the National Defense University. During his career, he received nine Superior Honor Awards from the US Department of State. RSVP here to sign up for in-person or Zoom attendance. This seminar will be held in E40-496 (Pye Room). Lunch will be available at 11:45am. Contact cis-info@mit.edu with any questions. This event is part of the CIS Global Research & Policy Seminar Series. Join our mailing list here to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.