Soft power instrument before the battlefield: U.S. think tanks, digital activism, and the strategic legacy of the Arab spring

In the aftermath of the Cold War, political mobilization and state-society relations were transformed by the rise of digital technologies. This era witnessed the emergence of ‘digital activism’, often framed as spontaneous and ideologically neutral. However, such assumptions deserve critical scrutiny. This article explores the role of American think tanks in shaping protest movements during the Arab Spring by providing activists with training, resources, and narrative frameworks. It emphasizes the rise of fourth-generation think tanks operating digitally and situates their activities within broader U.S. foreign policy goals, particularly regarding Middle Eastern energy geopolitics. By analyzing think tank reports, media discourse, and institutional publications, the study assesses whether digital activism represented a new form of grassroots mobilization or merely continued existing patterns of geopolitical influence under new technological forms.