Why have the United States been unable to foster quality civic engagement in Iraq? The US government never adequately earned its authority in the country. Despite the advice of General David Petraeus and others, commitments to the basic welfare of Iraqis went undemonstrated. Schools and roads were left in disrepair or unbuilt. By the time the 2005 elections happened, Iraqi voters had little trust in US-led institutions for improving their own lives and prosperity, which led to the joint disaster in which Iraqis and Americans presently find themselves. Had the United States been able to establish legitimacy early, US diplomats would have been able to help stop Iraq’s internal conflicts.
So say Nancy Soderberg and Brian Katulis. For them, Iraq provides the most conspicuous example of a frequent problem for the United States. Their book, The Prosperity Agenda, presents a way of reorganizing the role of the United States in the world. US-led projects that raise global prosperity, they suggest, would be reciprocated with greater willingness to cooperate with other US political, social, and economic interests.
How can we reduce this thesis into something more measurable? Here’s one suggestion. more...