America is a paradox. It’s a country that can put a man on the moon but can’t fix its own potholes. It leads the world in technological innovation yet makes voting more complicated than setting up a Wi-Fi router. It boasts world-class universities, but in some cities, you can’t always drink the tap water.

So, what’s the secret sauce that keeps America influential on the global stage? It’s not humanitarian aid or model governance. America’s real soft power lies in its unrivaled capacity to shape minds, markets and imaginations.

Every year, more than a million international students flock to American universities, drawn by the prestige of names like Harvard, MIT and Stanford. An American degree isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s a golden passport, opening doors to career opportunities worldwide. But the influence doesn’t stop at America’s borders.

Campuses such as NYU Abu Dhabi, Georgetown Qatar and the American University of Beirut bring American-style education to cities thousands of miles away, seeding future leaders who think in English and dream in dollars. In the 2015-2016 academic year alone, more than 61,000 Saudi students and more than 100,000 Indians were enrolled in American institutions. These students aren’t just learning calculus or computer science — they’re learning the American way of thinking. That’s power.

Look at your phone. Chances are, it’s powered by American ingenuity. From the iPhone in your pocket to AI breakthroughs from........

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