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

Democracy is the best school to learn soft power.

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.

As we think of power in the 21st century, we want to get away from the idea that power’s always zero sum — my gain is your loss and vice versa. Power can also be positive sum, where your gain can be my gain.

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.

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