Public Opinion and Power

Wyne, Ali

Book

Public Opinion and Power

This chapter examines how world public opinion influences the United States' ability to exercise influence abroad militarily, economically, and politically. It concludes by discussing the difference between opposition to American foreign policy, on the one hand, and anti-Americanism, on the other hand, and exploring that difference's policy implications.

By Ali Wyne

Published on Nov 3, 2008

Source: Routledge

Although opposition to American foreign policy is particularly pronounced in the Arab-Muslim world, it has reached alarming levels even in those countries that America counts as its closest allies. Thus, in 2006, Anthony King, one of the world’s preeminent political scientists, observed that, "There has probably never been a time when America was held in such low esteem on this side of the Atlantic." How does this state of affairs impact American foreign policy? Joseph Nye has contributed greatly to the discourse on this question by introducing the notion of "soft power:" A nation wields soft power if it can convince others to support its objectives without having to employ force, economic sanctions, or other coercive instruments of statecraft. Extending Nye's concept, Ali Wyne examines how world public opinion influences the United States' ability to exercise influence abroad.

Please click here to read the rest of the chapter.

This book is available from Routledge.
To order the book from Routledge, please click here.

Ali Wyne is a Junior Fellow in the China Program.

About the Author

Ali Wyne

Former Junior Fellow, China Program

North America United States Middle East South Asia China Political Reform Economy Foreign Policy

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie India

Commentary
AI in Outer Space: Opportunities, Risks, and the Governance Gap
How is AI reshaping space security, creating governance challenges, and where does international diplomacy stand today?
Tejas Bharadwaj, Almudena Azcárate Ortega
Paper
Threading the Needle: India’s Path Forward with China
After the chill in ties between 2020 and 2024 that brought India–China relations to their lowest point in several decades, the two countries have engaged each other afresh. This paper argues that there are predominantly four imperatives guiding India’s approach to China, and they exist in an order of priority.
Saheb Singh Chadha
Article
Managing Divergence: India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026
This piece argues that India’s central challenge is not managing a single flashpoint but resolving the underlying tension between expansion and institutional coherency of the BRICS grouping.
Vrinda Sahai
Article
India–Africa Strategic Partnership: Challenges, Potential, and Possible Pathways
A partnership between India, a country of subcontinental size, and Africa, a continent of fifty-four countries, may seem asymmetric until one notes that both are home to nearly the same number of people—1.4 billion. This essay spells out the existing challenges to the partnership, its optimal potential, and the possible pathways to realize it over the next quarter-century.
Rajiv Bhatia
Commentary
The Unresolved Challenges in U.S.–India Semiconductor Cooperation
The U.S.–India semiconductor cooperation story is well-stocked with top-level strategic intent. What remains unresolved, however, are some underlying challenges that will determine whether the cooperation actually functions. Three such friction points stand out.
Shruti Mittal

Public Opinion and Power

More Work from Carnegie India

Commentary

AI in Outer Space: Opportunities, Risks, and the Governance Gap

How is AI reshaping space security, creating governance challenges, and where does international diplomacy stand today?

Tejas Bharadwaj, Almudena Azcárate Ortega

Paper

Threading the Needle: India’s Path Forward with China

After the chill in ties between 2020 and 2024 that brought India–China relations to their lowest point in several decades, the two countries have engaged each other afresh. This paper argues that there are predominantly four imperatives guiding India’s approach to China, and they exist in an order of priority.

Saheb Singh Chadha

Article

Managing Divergence: India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026

This piece argues that India’s central challenge is not managing a single flashpoint but resolving the underlying tension between expansion and institutional coherency of the BRICS grouping.

Vrinda Sahai

Article

India–Africa Strategic Partnership: Challenges, Potential, and Possible Pathways

A partnership between India, a country of subcontinental size, and Africa, a continent of fifty-four countries, may seem asymmetric until one notes that both are home to nearly the same number of people—1.4 billion. This essay spells out the existing challenges to the partnership, its optimal potential, and the possible pathways to realize it over the next quarter-century.

Rajiv Bhatia

Commentary

The Unresolved Challenges in U.S.–India Semiconductor Cooperation

The U.S.–India semiconductor cooperation story is well-stocked with top-level strategic intent. What remains unresolved, however, are some underlying challenges that will determine whether the cooperation actually functions. Three such friction points stand out.

Shruti Mittal