The Decline of American Soft Power; Perspectives and Backgrounds

The successive failures of the US hard power and the increase in the material and spiritual costs of this country in the use of the hardware resources of power have caused this country to move towards the software resources of power in recent decades and in this field some successes. However, the actions, policies, and management of American officials in world politics led to a decline in the legitimacy and acceptance of American power in international public opinion. In other words, the growth and development phase of US software power has declined, and in the current situation, the United States no longer has the necessary capability to exercise soft power; Because its policies are not beautiful, glorious, or acceptable to nation-states, and the cultural, political, and economic resources of America's soft power are pessimistic. Given the importance of soft power in global relations and how the United States operates in this area, this article seeks to answer the key question that; What are the components of the decline of US soft power in the global political process? To answer the main and secondary questions of the article, the authors try to explain the reasons for the decline of soft resources of American power by using analytical-descriptive method. The findings show that the reasons for the decline of US soft power are: the emergence of new powers, internal socio-political crises, the reduction of international influence on financial and economic institutions, the discredit of US foreign policy and diplomacy.