Globalization, urbanization, and fragmentation are reshaping the world order by diffusing power throughout the global system. In order to remain relevant, American diplomacy will require a fundamental retooling that includes a more deliberate and serious engagement with novel forces and actors. Building a stronger partnership between the federal government’s diplomatic community and these nonstate actors will enhance America’s leadership and standing around the world.
“Diplomacy for a Diffuse World,” the latest from the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Foresight Initiative, in partnership with the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, examines how key global trends—the diffusion of power and the rise of individual empowerment—significantly impact the way the United States government must conduct diplomacy. In the brief, experts provide actionable recommendations to help build a more comprehensive and focused diplomatic strategy to better embrace the changes brought by these trends.