How to Rebuild America’s International Image in a Changing World
On February 17, 2021, the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies hosted an online edition of its Beyond the Headlines @BUPardeeSchool (BtH) series, during which panelists discussed ways to rebuild the United States’ global reputation.
The panel was moderated by Lt Gen Jack Weinstein, USAF (Ret), Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Pardee School, and featured Mark Storella, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy at the Pardee School; Ambassador Lauren Kahea Moriarty, Trustee at The Asia Foundation and former Dean of Academics, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; and Jeffrey Taliaferro, Professor of Political Science, Tufts University.
Panelists opened by discussing how the global perception of the U.S. has deteriorated over the past four years, but quickly noted that “rebuilding” might not be the priority the country needs to focus on. Rebuilding insinuates that what existed before is the goal, and as Professor Storella made clear the world is continuously evolving, which means there are different factors that effect how the world views the U.S.
Professors Storella and Taliaferro both argued that the U.S. should not return to the post-Cold War era of politics in which U.S. power was perceivably unquestionable; to do so would be a recipe for disaster. The world is aware of America’s current divided nature, and as Ambassador Moriarty said, the words, actions, and consistency of its leaders and citizens play a major part in global perception.
Speakers went on to discuss other practices the U.S. should avoid in order to improve it’s international image, including: don’t trod around American exceptionalism, do not treat partners and allies as subjacent to American priorities, and do not avoid working with states simply based on their demeanor.
The panel concluded by discussing the biggest global issues facing the new Biden administration. While not a single administration can tackle all these issues completely, the panel agreed that among the most pressing issues are global climate change, global health, strategic arms control, migration, and creating opportunities.
Beyond the Headlines is a regular series at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies which seeks to cultivate informed conversations among experts and practitioners on issues that are currently in the news headlines, but to do so with a focus on intellectual analysis and on longer-range trends. Recent Beyond the Headlines discussions have focused on topics including global perception of U.S. presidential elections, civil-military relations, Brexit, International Women’s Day, and the crisis in Kashmir.