I caught a segment of yesterday’s WHYY Radio Times interview with Parag Khanna. He is a Senior Research Fellow in the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation and just published a book titled, How to Run the World. The concept that he discussed and impressed me most was the influence of the citizen’s of the United States when it comes to financially supporting Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) across the globe. According to Parag Khanna’s research, the contributed income from American citizens vastly exceeds the aid offered by the government of the United States and overshadows all other countries. America remains the sole super power when you measure the generosity and giving patterns of its citizens in their capacity to support international causes and relief efforts. The philanthropy of the people shapes our country’s policies in ways I had never fathomed.