America's Role in the World: Looking Beyond the Election
June 18, 2008
The Levin Institute and Business for Diplomatic Action came together to present a panel discussion on America's Role in the World: Looking Beyond the Election. Some 100 people gathered to hear Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, noted political strategist and author, and John Zogby, well known pollster and President & CEO, Zogby International.
Moderated by Levin's President Garrick Utley, the panel discussed "the idea that is America," the 2008 elections and their aftermath. While everyone agreed that we are in the midst of a momentous turning point in America's history and that the stakes are incredibly high in this crucial election season, differing perspectives were offered on how the rest of the world sees us, what they actually want from us, and what our international role should be moving forward.
John Zogby captured the magnitude of the moment with his depiction of an "accelerator or else mentality" illustrated by high voter turnout in the primaries. He described a younger generation of "first globals" who understand the issues, questioning whether or n
ot our new leadership will also. He mused that this election is much bigger than Barack Obama, and that the rest of the world is watching closely.
Nancy Soderberg called for American leadership on a worldwide scale, warning that globalization is here whether we like it or not, and that countries like China and India are still years away from superpower status, reinforcing America's duty to play a leading role. American success, she asserted, will be based on whether we can get ahead of the curve in promoting prosperity and security.
Anne-Marie Slaughter suggested that spirit is more important than simple action in restoring our fallen reputation throughout the world, and predicted that a win by Barack Obama would convince an incredulous world that "America" is still alive. She went on to delineate potential policy changes, including the closing of Guantanamo and leadership on global warming and non-proliferation, but cautioned that the world is more eager for our engagement than our leadership, and will not wait for us to solve its problems.
Across the board, it was clear that America does and should care about its image abroad, and that this election will be critical in restoring that image. In short, something is definitely happening.