Research Paper on:
American Power: Military, Economic, and Soft Power

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
American power is a triple edged sword. Not only do we have our military might and economic advantage, we also have a tremendous influence on  the world in a cultural and political sense. That influence, if use strategically, can be termed "soft power". Each of these three attributes have proven important throughout our  history but almost without exception military power and economic advantage have taken precedent in our international relations. Soft power, however, is becoming a more and more important component of  these relations. In most cases when one considers the concept of power they do so in relation to military might. Some contend  that the U.S. may be declining in military power and political influence. In reality, however, our political and military might is directly tied to our fortitude as a free  people and a democratic nation. We continue to influence and direct the rest of the world in ways which sometimes are quite apparent but other times are quite subtle.  We triumphed in World War I and World War II. We persisted through the humiliation we faced in Vietnam and the Iranian hostage crisis. We survived the  Cold War and witnessed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and today we are engaged in a fight against terrorism in the Middle East. Our spirit and our  military power have propelled us on into our futures. Likewise, we have wielded tremendous economic leverage on the world stage.  Not only does our demands drive much of the import/export activities in the world, not only are many of our corporations dependent on the cheap labor that they can find