The national interest is predetermined by geopolitics or the history of a country. Important political leaders never just followed their interests - they were concerned about the interests of their people.

Power is the ability to affect others to get the outcomes you want, and that can be done by coercion, payment or attraction.

America rests on shared values rather than shared ethnicity.

Terrorism is like jujitsu: The small players win if they make the large player use his strength against himself.

Leadership experts and the public alike extol the virtues of transformational leaders - those who set out bold objectives and take risks to change the world. We tend to downplay 'transactional' leaders, whose goals are more modest, as mere managers.

Money and donations are an important part of our political system. They are hard power.

American power in the world relies on these ideals of openness and critical debate.