The future of American soft power and foreign aid

For more than fifty years, the United States has used a variety of nonmilitary tools—including diplomacy and foreign assistance—to advance its interests and help those most in need by supporting economic growth and representative governance. Now, facing domestic pressures and budget constraints, the United States and allied nations are reshaping how they use foreign assistance, reducing aid spending and finding innovative partnerships to do more with less. This raises key questions about what the future should look like.

This project by the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center charts a new path forward for soft power, including how to approach foreign assistance funding, partnership, and delivery. It explores more efficient ways—from in-country partnership models to contracting mechanisms—for the US government to work with American organizations in executing its vision.