The Future of Power examines what it means to be forceful and
effective in a world in which the traditional ideas of state power have
been upended by technology, and rogue actors. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., a
longtime analyst of power and a hands-on practitioner in government,
delivers a new power narrative that considers the shifts, innovations,
bold technologies, and new relationships that are defining the
twenty-first century. He shows how power resources are adapting to the
digital age and how smart power strategies must include more than a
country's military strength.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, unsurpassed in military
strength and ownership of world resources, the United States was
indisputably the most powerful nation in the world. Today, China,
Russia, India, and others are increasing their share of world power
resources. Information once reserved for the government is now available
for mass consumption. The Internet has literally put power at the
fingertips of nonstate agents, allowing them to launch cyberattacks from
their homes. The cyberage has created a new power frontier among states,
ripe with opportunity for developing countries. To remain at the
pinnacle of world power, the United States must adopt a strategy that
designed for a global information age.
