Abstract:

This study analyzes the US soft power before and after President Trump took power. It argues that the US soft power had been waning before the Trump administration due to its foreign policy. While the US is still attractive in many cultural and institutional aspects, its foreign policy no longer contributes much to its soft power. In addition, there was a Trump effect on US soft power as such that his unpredictable and contradictory character and ‘America First’ policy damaged the US image. Besides, the raid into US congress hints that post-Trump period might also be problematic in terms of soft power. Yet, this study asserts that he also gave some correct decisions such as withdrawing troops from battlefields. While analyzing the US soft power, this study also questions the conceptualization of soft power and smart power and introduces new arguments. This study aims to propose new ideas about the US soft power and partly the concept of soft power via reviewing the literature.

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