Joseph Nye coined the term soft power to describe a nations ability to attract and persuade. Whereas hard powerthe ability to coercegrows out of a countrys military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of its culture, political ideals, and policies. Hard power remains crucial in a world of states trying to guard their independence and of non-state groups willing to turn to violence. But as a new administrationwhether Republican or Democratmaps out its foreign policy, Nye emphasizes the importance of husbanding our military power and nurturing our soft power. It is soft power that will help prevent terrorists from recruiting supporters from among the moderate majority. And it is soft power that will help the United States deal with critical global issues that require multilateral cooperation. America needs to move in a new direction. Isnt it time that we listened to the guidance of one of our foremost foreign policy experts and put his ideas into action?