Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy
Source: Review by Dennis M. Murphy, AmericanDiplomacy.org
Nancy Snow and Philip M. Taylor (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy New York and London: Routledge Publishers, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-415-95302-3, 408 pp. $55.95
Ronfeld and Arquilla review and bring forward their concept of “noopolitik” from its 1999 introduction by the duo. Noopolitik is an approach to statecraft emphasizing information power “in expressing ideas, values norms, and ethics….” They note in their original monograph that information must be a distinct part of grand strategy in order for noopolitik to become effective. They address the present noting that while non-state actors (specifically non-governmental organizations and extremists) appear to embrace noopolitik as a strategic approach, the United States has not and, in fact, is not positioned to do so given a loss of soft power over the past decade.