Center for American Progress

‘Smart power’, where development and defence meet
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‘Smart power’, where development and defence meet

The Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID need greater co-operation to tackle conflict and poverty in the world.

The United States has not been getting high marks these days for good governance. But even in the best of times, balancing defence, diplomacy and development is largely an afterthought for both politicians and the American people. Years of military build-up, have left the linkages between these fields badly skewed, with Washington spending lavishly on defence but scrimping on long-term investments in diplomacy and development.

The above excerpt was originally published in The Guardian. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

John Norris

Senior Fellow; Executive Director, Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative

Annie Malknecht

Research Associate