---
title: "Taking the Measure of America’s Powers of Attraction"
description: "America’s much-vaunted soft power, which has long been touted as an antidote to its oft-criticized “hard power” image, is actually enhanced more by pop-culture exports than by its reputation for protecting civil liberties or its ideas about democracy."
date: "2017-12-20"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Stokes"
    job_title: "Former Director, Global Economic Attitudes"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-stokes/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2017/12/20/taking-the-measure-of-americas-powers-of-attraction/"
---

# Taking the Measure of America’s Powers of Attraction

*Special to [RealClearWorld](https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2017/12/20/taking_the_measure_of_americas_powers_of_attraction_112668.html?utm_source=rcp-today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mailchimp-newsletter&utm_source=RC+World+Today&utm_campaign=42d64bb899-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d519acabbf-42d64bb899-83781601)*

Americans and people across the globe are questioning the U.S. [role on the world stage](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/05/05/public-uncertain-divided-over-americas-place-in-the-world/), with a median of only 49 percent of respondents across 37 countries expressing a favorable view of the United States. In that context, a new Pew Research Center survey reveals that America’s much-vaunted soft power, which has long been touted as an antidote to its oft-criticized “hard power” image, is actually enhanced more by pop-culture exports than by its reputation for protecting civil liberties or its ideas about democracy.

*Read more at [RealClearWorld](https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2017/12/20/taking_the_measure_of_americas_powers_of_attraction_112668.html?utm_source=rcp-today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mailchimp-newsletter&utm_source=RC+World+Today&utm_campaign=42d64bb899-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d519acabbf-42d64bb899-83781601)*