CPD Research Fellow and Blogger quoted in Crosscut

CPD Research Fellow and Blogger Cynthia Schneider was quoted in a July 8 Crosscut article titled “How the U.S. underperforms at Shanghai’s Expo.”



In the article, Scheider says, “The Pavilion in Shanghai is just the most visible example of the outsourcing of America's outreach to the world. ... To some degree this acknowledges budget realities. But it also reflects the continuing diminution of cultural outreach or "soft power" approaches within the State Department. Whether it was cynicism, other priorities, or an active dismissal of the importance of crafting a message for the Pavilion (beyond its mere existence) does not really matter. The result is $61 million dollars spent, and an opportunity lost. If the U.S. does not take the power of cultural diplomacy and "soft power" seriously enough to invest time and money, there is one superpower that does: China.”