Is The American Century Over?

At the beginning of an uncertain New Year, Cambridge Forum considers America’s position on the international stage with the help of Joseph Nye, one of the country’s foremost thinkers on American foreign policy.  For the past eight decades, we have lived in “the American Century” – a period during which the US has enjoyed unrivalled global power – be it political, economic or military.  Born on the cusp of this new era, Nye has spent a lifetime illuminating our understanding of the changing contours of America power and world affairs.  His many books on the nature of power and political leadership have earned him his reputation as one of the most current and influential world scholars.

Joseph Nye shares his own personal memories of living through the American century. From his early years growing up on a farm in rural New Jersey to his time in the State Department, Pentagon and Intelligence Community during the Carter and Clinton administrations where he witnessed American power up close, shaping policy on key issues such as nuclear proliferation and East Asian security.  After 9/11 drew the US into wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nye remained an astute observer and critic of the Bush, Obama and Trump presidencies. Today Nye brings a fresh and insightful perspective about America’s future role in the world; its primacy may be changing, but is it for the better?  Join the discussion about what 2024 might hold for the declining arc of American power.

Joseph Nye is a world-renowned authority on American power in the modern era whose work has influenced generations of scholars and policy-makers. His books Soft Power, The Future of Power, The Power to Lead, Is the American Century Over? and Do Morals Matter: Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump are widely acclaimed and his writings have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the NYT among others. 

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