What is soft power? Thanks for asking!

There was a time where the only way to impose power was through violence and war. But for a few decades now, the power of a country or group is also affected by its soft power. By that we mean its ability to influence other parts of the world by spreading its cultural model.

Soft power can be held by states, but also by international institutions, NGOs, businesses or citizen movements. It’s actually nothing new. Looking back in history, you can find examples of soft power in the times of ancient Greece or the British Empire. But only in 1990 was the theory of soft power developed by international relations professor Joseph Nye.

Nye argued that the rise of globalisation meant using military force, or hard power, alone was no longer an option. His country, the United States, had grasped that and was using a new and highly effective form of power, which depended on its ability to attract and persuade others, thus shaping their preferences.

What does soft power look like? Are the Americans the kings of soft power in that case? What countries are on the first place of soft power? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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