"We can achieve far more through persuasion than bullying, through humility than arrogance, through generosity than sanctions, through the force of example than the example of force. We can be the nation that accepts constraints even when it doesn't have to, guided by principles rather than power."

"The United States can neither appear to be acting only in its self-interest, nor can it in fact act as if its own national interest were all that mattered. Even at times of dire emergency, and perhaps especially at those times, the world's sole superpower needs to demonstrate that it wields is great power on behalf of its principles and all who share them."

"America shows the world that it is possible for people of all colors, creeds, and nationalities to live side by side in peace and freedom. That is the most important lesson for the world to learn right now."

"Military power and economic power are both examples of hard command power that can be used to induce others to change their position. Hard power can rest on inducements (carrots) or threats (sticks). But there is also an indirect way to exercise power. A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries want to follow it, admiring its values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness. In this sense, it is just as important to set the agenda in world politics and attract others as it is to force them to change through the threat or use of military or economic weapons ... If the United States represents values that others want to follow, it will cost us less to lead."

"A global backlash to U.S. power is not inevitable. ... Our leaders have the ideas, means and political institutions that can allow for [order] even in the midst of [asymmetries] of power... But the United States needs to rediscover the solutions that it has brought to the problem of unequal power in the past. These solutions are celebrated in our national political tradition. The rule of law, constitutional principles and inclusive institutions of political participation ensure that governance is not simply a product of wealth or power. The wealthy and the powerful must operate within principled institutional parameters. Because a rule-based order generates more stable and cooperative relations within the country, even the wealthy and powerful gain by avoiding social upheaval, which puts everyone's interests at risk. America can once again take this old domestic insight and use it to shape post-Cold War international relations. And it is time to do so now, when America's relative power may be at its peak."

"Counterterrorism ... is a priority, not an organizing principle for American foreign policy. It will influence the focus of attention and resources and will require that we address other foreign policy challenges such as state failure and nation building. But counterterrorism cannot be a doctrine. There are simply too many critical issues for which opposition to terrorism provides little or no direction, including implementing a new global trade agenda, building civil societies or advancing democracy around the world, meeting the transnational challenges from infectious disease to climate change that increasingly define this era, or integrating China, Russia, India and others into the major undertakings of this era."

"[If ] the world only gets marching orders [from America] and not a common vision, it will be less inclined to follow them. ... [Carrying] a big stick and [speaking] loudly at the same time ... only turns one into a schoolyard bully. And bullies always have their comeuppance."

"I will suggest to you that the challenge of U.S. dominance, which none of us fully appreciate yet, is that we are like a 12,000 pound elephant in the world's living room, and we wake up in the morning and we shake our head because we think we're still a cute hamster like we were with Jefferson and Adams, and our trunk breaks five pieces of family china. And the entire planet stares in horror, and we have no clue."

"The idea that Americans -- residents of the most powerful land in history -- are now truly living in fear of bin Laden has failed to impress the majority of people around the globe, whose concerns about terrorism are dwarfed by the challenge they face in simply staying alive despite the ever-present perils of poverty, hunger, and disease. The United States' cause would therefore be heard more clearly and listened to more closely if [we] substituted bridges for bluster and spoke more often of choices relevant to the day-to-day lives of more of the world's people. That means spelling out consistently not only what Americans are against, but also what they are for, and making clear that this includes helping people everywhere live richer, freer, and longer lives."

"Morality, values, ethics, universal principles -- the whole panoply of ideals in international affairs that were once almost the exclusive domain of preachers and scholars -- have taken root in the hearts, or at least the minds, of the foreign policy community. ... Moral matters ... are now a constant force that cannot be overlooked when it comes to policy effectiveness abroad or political support at home."