Mock Congressional Hearing on Smart Power

A Mock Congressional Hearing on Smart Power

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From the war in Iraq to the rise of China, the effective use of national power has become a topic of global interest. Over this past year the USC Center on Public Diplomacy has explored the conditions under which ‘hard power’ (the power to coerce) and "soft power" (the power to convince) can be effectively combined into "smart power."

The Smart Power Project at USC presented its initial findings in a special two-hour colloquium in the form of a mock congressional hearing on the topic. Graduate students in the Masters of Public Diplomacy seminar presented testimony summarizing their findings on the global and domestic relevance of the concept of "smart power."

The group offered concrete proposals for ways that smart power can enhance U.S. policy making. Faculty and others then questioned the smart power proponents on their findings. This topic is sure to hold a prominent place in the upcoming presidential and congressional campaign season.

The Smart Power Project was led by Dr. Ernest James Wilson III. Dr. Wilson served on the National Security Council at the White House, and is the Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.