Soft Power, Or The Almightiness Of The Non-Military Arsenal

American political scientist Joseph Nye first coined the term 'soft power' in the late 1980s, but the idea behind it is as old as nations.

Nye defined soft power as the ability of a country "to get others to do what they otherwise would not". In other words, a country's soft power is what it comes to mind when we think about it. Those things that resonate with others around the world. So, for example, Italy's soft power is its food and architecture. 

Hard power is easy to measure. We can count the number of missiles, the military forces, tanks ... But what about soft power?

Every year Monocle releases an annual Soft Power Survey and looks at what countries can offer their international partners beyond trade and guns.

In this episode of The Foreign Desk, Andrew Mueller analyses the latest rank and discusses the power of governments in constructing soft power. A very engaging discussion, and very recommended if you are not familiar with the concept. 

Nations are more and more aware of the importance of soft power. But do governments have control over it?

Not really. Soft power refers to things that have been around for years, even centuries. There is no formula to replicate cultural power. And that's the magic of it. 

Soft power is also not about politics. That means that neither Brexit nor Donald Trump have a direct impact on it. However, the media does. International reputation can plummet because of bad politicians and the way the media reports about them. Despite that, the US still is one of the most influential countries regarding soft power, with assets like Hollywood or Silicon Valley.

What smart governments can, and should, do is to strengthen their cultural powers and to look for new ways to spread their influence. 

Can you think of any? International multilingual news channels and Netflix are on the table!