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America's global image is at an all-time low and is heading lower, crippling Washington's ability to shape world events and allowing other nations to usurp American leadership, concludes a recent report by a Washington think tank. The reason is that since the Sept. 11 attacks, America has elevated the war on terror to the central component of our global engagement, said study co-chair and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

Since Sept. 11, Americans have been "exporting our fear and anger," said Armitage at an event Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which sponsored the Commission on Smart Power report. "I believe we need to get back to exporting more traditional values, such as hope, optimism and tolerance and opportunity."

The report contains recommendations on how the next administration can repair America's global image and maintain its pre-eminence. Hard power relies on traditional measurements of military and economic might, while soft power is the "power of attraction" through ideas, said study co-chair and Harvard professor Joseph Nye. The report argues that both hard and soft power should be combined in new "smart power" efforts.

The study says that with the United States focusing its attention on the Middle East, China has stepped into the vacuum, expanding both its hard and soft power efforts. The most visible example, the report says, is Beijing's embrace of "multilateral organizations where the U.S. role has diminished or is absent all together." In Africa, China is offering the "Beijing alternative" -- aid given without the preconditions often imposed by Washington.

The report acknowledges that much of America's smart power assets are in the private sector, but includes a series of recommendations for elevating its focus in government, particularly in civilian agencies:

• Create a smart power deputy serving both the national security adviser and the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to focus on long-term strategy and manage interagency trade-offs.
• Create a standing coordination staff for interagency operations at the executive secretary level. This group would coordinate agencies' response to crises in an effort to avoid bureaucratic turf disputes over roles and missions.
• Create a Cabinet-level position for global development to coordinate the 50 separate government programs providing economic and technical assistance.
• Establish a Quadrennial Smart Power Review, modeled on the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review, to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the resources and goals of the civilian tools of national power.
• Increase the number of Foreign Service personnel slots at the State Department by more than 1,000. The military is able to provide its officers with extensive educational opportunities because it routinely budgets for 10 percent more military officers than there are jobs. But civilian agencies do not budget for such personnel "floats."
• Beef up civilian agency coordination and management at the regional level, comparable to the Pentagon's regional combat commands. Civilian agencies tend to be dominated by their Washington headquarters offices, so politics often dominates decision-making, and interagency operations are not coordinated in the field.

The commission also called for establishing and funding a nonprofit, nongovernmental entity to tap into public and private sector expertise to better communicate with people in other countries. The organization would be run by an independent board of experts inside and outside government who could provide a "heat shield" from near-term political pressures.

COMMENTS

• I almost thought I had a diary moment when I read Dan’s first post. I must admit that I too agree that we could be more judicious about the giving of our money when there is so much need at home and we seem to get so little in return. And then… “Stock market at all time highs” I’ve heard that rumor but you best hope you don’t have vertigo ‘cause the swings are practically manic/depressive. A “GOOD” stock market will exhibit steady growth, not fluctuations that, in an earlier year, might convince someone to sky dive off the Empire State building; without a chute. The recent movement is NOT a good sign! If you don’t believe the standard of living has changed … perhaps you should read about the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. I will grant you that the “war” has shored up the economy but that will only last as long as the spigot still spews. Folks who can afford the gas prices still cringed, but there are more and more urbanites who can’t afford individual transportation; so they crowd our already straining cities, tax our welfare programs, and choke when they read inflation is down. Lack of transportation was a major factor with the victims of Katrina. They weren’t being stubborn, they had no vehicles. Like statistics, if you manipulate what is used in the inflation calculation, withdrawing common everyday necessities because they tend to fluctuate the most; well, then sure we can make the number whatever you wish. The price of milk and gasoline are two of the biggest weekly household expenditures and, evidently, don’t mean a hill of beans towards inflation. The Soviets weren’t dismantled by Reagan; they were outspent by him. While I applaud the final results, evidently that methodology has come to be the Party Pacaderm’s standard economic plan; cut taxes and spend like there is no tomorrow. There are many ways to spin history, economics, and statistics. Once more, wait until the dance is over and the check is brought. Hind sight is golden, but the man with even one eye is King in the valley of the blind. Stop squinting, Dan. Tip off Posted November 14, 2007 2:25 PM
• Rickster, you need to be able to seperate facts from fiction. Our standard of living hasn't changed. Stock market at all time highs unemployment at all time lows, low inflation if that's a bad economy then tell me when it was better... The Soviets were dismantled by Regan and Bush inherited a mess with terriorism with any 2 bit country taking shots and killing americans at will without any retribution. Have we stepped on some toes you bet but turning the other cheek only works in the Bible. You only have to look at France to see the turn round that Bush's policies are making. As for the term " mean spirited" grow up and take your skirt off dan m ketter Posted November 10, 2007 4:14 PM
• As the federal government is approaching a 7 trillion dollar debt it is truly a sad state of affairs that the legislators and self proclaimed leaders of this great country continue to squander the resources of this nation for their own political gain and with total disregard for the welfare of the public. Our government cannot even set aside $10 Billion for the health and welfare of its disadvantaged youth. It is far more important for the powers to be to spend over $1Billion per day on a useless war without future benefit. The war will cost taxpayers over $1.75 Trillion before it is over--or some think it will end! The taxpayer's of this country deserve better but the system is so imbedded it does not matter whether Republicans or Democrats win at the polls. Just look at the apathy of the American public and its disgust with Congress and the Executive Office of the President. John Q. Public Posted November 8, 2007 5:51 PM