Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy

America's Anxiety of Influence

| Aug. 17, 2018

The power of the United States is declining—and that's nothing to worry about.

Earlier this week, David Ignatius at the Washington Post published an interesting column ruing the decline of U.S. "influence" in the Middle East. His central theme is that U.S. "disengagement" from the region is allowing local actors to chart their own courses, and that many of them are now making bad decisions. In his view, the prospects for positive change in the region are receding and that we will all be worse off as a result.

It's a thoughtful column and worth reading. It’s also a revealing one, because it rests on one of those unspoken assumptions that are articles of faith in the U.S. foreign-policy community....

For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Walt, Stephen M.“America's Anxiety of Influence.” Foreign Policy, August 17, 2018.

The Author

Stephen Walt

Stephen M. Walt

  • Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs; Faculty Chair, International Security Program
  • Member of the Board, Belfer Center
  • Faculty Affiliate, Future of Diplomacy Project
  • Faculty Affiliate, Middle East Initiative
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