Democracy is the best school to learn soft power.

America rests on shared values rather than shared ethnicity.

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

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.

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

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

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