Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power - Paperback

by Joseph S. Jr. Nye (Author)

A pre-eminent scholar challenges the notion of inevitable American decline, arguing that the nation can still lead in a rapidly shifting world order

"Nye marshals his wide grasp of history, politics, and economics to produce a compelling book." --The Economist

In this pioneering work, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., reckons with the enduring claim that American decline is inevitable. He argues that the United States will remain the dominant world power and shows that narratives about decline only divert policy makers from creating effective strategies for the future. The United States is not losing power; the nature of power has simply changed. The real--and unprecedented--challenge for the United States is maintaining its position as the world becomes increasingly interdependent.

Back Jacket

Is America still Number 1? A leading scholar of international politics and former State Department official takes issue with Paul Kennedy and others and clearly demonstrates that the United States is still the dominant world power, with no challenger in sight. But analogies about decline only divert policy makers from creating effective strategies for the future, says Nye. The nature of power has changed. The real-and unprecedented-challenge is managing the transition to growing global interdependence.

Author Biography

Joseph S. Nye, Jr., (1937-2025) served as dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the Clinton administration. He was the author of several books, including Soft Power and The Future of Power.