Soft Power vs. Hard Power vs. Smart Power in Global Politics
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the concepts of hard and soft power, drawing on Joseph Nye's influential work 'The Future of Power.' Hard power relies on military force or economic sanctions to compel others, while soft power persuades through attraction and shared goals. The video delves into the resources and skills needed to convert these into desired outcomes, discussing the balance of both powers as 'smart power.' It highlights the importance of strategic use of power, exemplified by the fight against ISIS and President Obama's Cairo speech, emphasizing the need for a mix of military and cultural influence to achieve global objectives.
Takeaways
- 📚 Power is defined as the ability for actors to achieve their preferred outcomes, according to Joseph Nye's influential theory.
- 💪 Hard power is the capacity to achieve outcomes through the threat of force or economic repercussions, like sanctions.
- 🌐 Soft power involves the ability to influence others to want the same outcomes as you, making them desire what you want.
- 🏦 Economic power is a significant soft power resource, attracting trade agreements and partnerships.
- 🗺 Relational power includes having a seat at major decision-making bodies like the UN Security Council or being part of influential groups like the G7.
- 🤝 Historical relationships, such as the special relationship between the UK and the US, contribute to a state's soft power.
- 🌟 Structural power allows a state to shape the global system, influencing others to adopt similar economic or political systems.
- 🌍 The spread of liberal democracy, particularly by the US, is a form of soft power aiming to establish a model for governance.
- 💻 Cyber power and the use of digital media, such as social networks, are recent developments in the realm of soft power.
- 🎬 Cultural institutions like Hollywood, Disney, or the BBC have soft power through their global influence on values and perceptions.
- 😊 The effective use of soft power resources, such as a smile, requires knowing how and when to apply them for maximum impact.
- 🔄 Smart power, as proposed by Nye, is the strategic balance between hard and soft power to achieve preferred outcomes effectively.
Q & A
What is the definition of power according to Joseph Nye?
-According to Joseph Nye, power is the ability of actors to achieve their preferred outcomes.
Why is it important for actors to have the skill to turn resources into power?
-Having the skill to turn resources into power is important because it allows actors to effectively achieve their desired outcomes using those resources.
What are the two main categories of power traditionally recognized in global politics?
-The two main categories of power traditionally recognized in global politics are hard power and soft power.
How does hard power typically achieve preferred outcomes?
-Hard power typically achieves preferred outcomes through the threat of force or other repercussions, such as military action or economic sanctions.
What is the main idea behind soft power?
-The main idea behind soft power is the ability to influence or convince others that your preferred outcomes are also their preferred outcomes, making them want what you want.
What is an example of a hard power measure?
-An example of a hard power measure is the use of sanctions as a means to force others to comply with certain demands or face economic repercussions.
What is the concept of relational power in the context of soft power?
-Relational power in the context of soft power refers to the influence a state has due to its position in international decision-making bodies, such as having a seat at the UN Security Council or being part of the G7.
How does structural power function as a soft power resource?
-Structural power functions as a soft power resource by allowing a state to shape how the global system operates, influencing others to adopt similar economic or political systems.
What is the significance of cyber power in the realm of soft power?
-Cyber power in the realm of soft power signifies the ability of the internet and digital media to create change and influence others, such as through social networks or state-sponsored influence on elections.
How does Joseph Nye define 'smart power'?
-Joseph Nye defines 'smart power' as the balance between hard power and soft power, where states cultivate the ability to strategically use both approaches to achieve their preferred outcomes.
What is the role of cultural institutions like Hollywood, Disney, or the BBC in soft power?
-Cultural institutions like Hollywood, Disney, or the BBC play a role in soft power by influencing people worldwide and shaping hearts and minds along with the Western liberal values associated with these institutions.
How did President Barack Obama's 2009 Cairo speech reflect the concept of smart power?
-President Barack Obama's 2009 Cairo speech reflected the concept of smart power by highlighting his administration's approach to use both military and non-military means, such as building schools and hospitals, to address the root causes of extremism.
What is the difference between hard power and soft power in terms of achieving outcomes?
-Hard power focuses on achieving outcomes through coercion or threats, while soft power aims to achieve outcomes by making others want the same things, thus gaining their voluntary compliance.
What are the implications of non-state actors gaining power and influence in the world today?
-The growing power and influence of non-state actors, such as corporations and extremist organizations, can challenge the traditional balance of power held by states and introduce new dynamics in global politics and decision-making.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Power Dynamics
This paragraph introduces the concept of power, referencing Joseph Nye's definition as the ability to achieve desired outcomes. It distinguishes between hard and soft power, with hard power relying on coercion like military force or economic sanctions, and soft power using attraction and persuasion. The paragraph also highlights the importance of resources and skills in converting them into effective power.
🛡️ Balancing Hard and Soft Power for Smart Power
The second paragraph delves into the nuances of hard and soft power, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach termed 'smart power' by Nye. It discusses how military power can be perceived as soft power when used for peacekeeping or defensive alliances. The paragraph also explores the necessity of combining both hard and soft power strategies, as exemplified by the fight against ISIS, where military action was complemented by efforts to change societal attitudes. It concludes with a reflection on the importance of smart power in achieving preferred outcomes and the growing influence of non-state actors in global politics.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Power
💡Hard Power
💡Soft Power
💡Smart Power
💡Resources
💡Economic Power
💡Relational Power
💡Structural Power
💡Cyber Power
💡Cultural Power
💡Non-State Actors
Highlights
Power is defined as the ability for actors to achieve their preferred outcomes, according to Joseph Nye.
Traditionally, power is divided into hard power and soft power, with hard power relying on force or threats.
Soft power is the ability to influence or convince others to share your preferred outcomes.
Hard power often involves military strength and the threat of economic sanctions.
Soft power resources include economic power, relational power, and historical relationships.
Structural power allows a state to shape the global system, influencing others' economic and political structures.
Cyber power and the use of digital media are emerging forms of soft power.
Cultural institutions like Hollywood and the BBC are examples of soft power influencing global values.
Soft power can be cultivated over time but requires skill to be used effectively.
Joseph Nye suggests that having a smile can be a soft power resource, but timing and context are crucial.
Smart power is a balance between hard and soft power, as proposed by Nye.
Military power can lean towards soft power when used for peacekeeping or defensive alliances.
The fight against ISIS required both military and soft power approaches to be effective.
President Obama's Cairo speech highlighted the U.S. administration's smart power approach.
Investment in building schools, hospitals, and infrastructure is part of the soft power strategy.
Support for governments reflecting the will of the people is part of the smart power approach.
The growing power of non-state actors like corporations and NGOs is a significant aspect of today's world power dynamics.
Transcripts
before we jump into some of the
differences between hard power and soft
power
let's talk about power a little bit more
generally
and hey hit that subscribe button if you
haven't already so you don't miss
anything in the future
so what is power it's certainly a very
contested concept
according to one of the most influential
power theorists today
joseph nye power is the ability for
actors to achieve their preferred
outcomes
and we're going to be drawing on his
fantastic book the future of power
here in this video quite a bit so what
gives actors in global politics
the power to achieve their desired
outcomes to make this happen
there are two ways of looking at it
power is resources
so things like a large population a
strong economy
large military force or global cultural
influence but having those resources
isn't necessarily enough
you also need to have the skill to turn
those resources into
that power to achieve your desired
outcomes traditionally
power has been divided into two
categories hard power and soft power
generally speaking hard power aims to
achieve your preferred outcomes
through the threat of force or some
other repercussion whereas soft power
is that ability to influence or convince
others that
your preferred outcomes are also their
preferred outcomes
so in a way of thinking about it soft
power is that ability to make
others want what you want so thinking
about
hard power how do you force others
to do what you want well traditionally
having a really strong military and that
threat of you being able to use your
military is an important way to do it
and
again traditionally a strong military is
seen as being the most important hard
power resource
another aspect of hard power and getting
others to do what you want
is through the threat of some sort of
economic repercussion and we often see
that in the form of sanctions
so sanctions are an important hard power
measure soft power on the other hand is
a little bit
more nebulous right how do you get
others to actually want
what you want and so we look at there
being quite a number of different
soft power resources one important one
is economic power and if
you're a state that has a strong economy
well other states are going to want to
form
trade agreements with you because
they're going to want a little piece of
that pie
and a good trading partner to be able to
grow their own economies
another important soft power resource is
this idea of relational power
where for example you might have a seat
at the table
at a major decision-making body so for
example it's the reason why
states want to have a seat at the u.n
security council
or why it's beneficial for a state to be
a part of the g7
network of countries what also plays
into this is this idea of historical
relationships
for example great britain and the united
states are often seen as having what
they call this special relationship
that goes back throughout history and
both countries have had each other's
back through various
historical struggles these two powers
have often seen
eye to eye and pursued similar goals
together
another important soft power resource is
structural power and this is the ability
for a state to actually
shape how the global system operates
so for example if you are a very strong
economic country that operates under a
capitalist economic system
well you might have the power to
influence others to shape their
economies
in the same way because they see the
benefit of that
recently there's also been this drive
for
spreading more liberal democracy
throughout the world again led by the
united states
that has been seen as this model of how
a democracy
should work a more recent development in
soft power has been
in the realm of cyber power or the
ability
of the internet to be able to create
change and
influence others consider for example
the organizational ability of social
networks like facebook
or the ability of states or political
organizations
to be able to use digital media to
influence elections
finally social and cultural power has to
do with the ability of cultural
institutions like
say hollywood disney or the bbc
to influence people all over the world
and
shape hearts and minds along with the
western liberal values
that go along with those institutions
this also plays into the idea
of the united states being this shining
city on a hill
as used to be one of ronald reagan's
favorite sayings
that idealed the united states and its
liberal values
as being something worthy of emulation
all over the world
soft power can be quite well powerful
but it takes
a while for states to be able to
cultivate these soft power resources
and to be able to gain the skill to be
able to use them effectively
according to joseph nye having a smile
can be a soft power resource
and you may be more inclined to do
something for me if i smile whenever we
meet
but if i smile at your mother's funeral
it may destroy soft power
rather than create it right so having
the ability
to use these soft power measures is good
but you really need to know
how and when to use them for them to be
effective with all this in mind is
either hard power or soft power enough
as a balance to both
harden soft power joseph nye proposes
states find a way to cultivate smart
power
and it's this balance between both hard
power and soft power
consider military power for example if a
state uses its military
to cultivate an aura of peacekeeping
or participation in defensive alliances
like nato
well that might actually lean military
power more
towards it being soft power if we think
about what it actually takes for states
to be able to achieve their preferred
outcomes
well sometimes you need both a soft and
hard power approach which again ties
into this idea of smart power
consider the war on terror and the fight
against the militant
terrorist organization isis the military
effort in the
middle east was necessary to stop isis
but the environment that allows an
extremist ideology like theirs to
flourish
can't be defeated with boots on the
ground but through
shaping hearts and minds in 2009
american president barack obama
highlighted his administration's
smart power approach with a speech in
cairo that showed his administration's
approach to the middle east
make no mistake we do not want to keep
our troops in afghanistan
we would gladly bring every single one
of our troops home
if we could be confident
that there were not violent extremists
in afghanistan
and now pakistan determined to kill as
many americans
as they possibly can now we also know
that military power alone is not going
to solve
the problems in afghanistan and pakistan
that's why we plan to invest 1.5 billion
dollars each year over the next five
years
to partner with pakistanis to build
schools and hospitals
roads and businesses and hundreds of
millions
to help those who've been displaced that
does not lessen my commitment however
to governments that reflect the will of
the people america does not presume to
know what is best for everyone
just as we would not presume to pick the
outcome of a peaceful election
but i do have an unyielding belief
that all people yearn for certain things
the ability to speak your mind
and have a say in how you are governed
these are not just american ideas
they are human rights and that is why we
will support them
everywhere so let's review hard power
focuses on a state's ability
to achieve their preferred outcomes
through either military force
or the threat of repercussions like
sanctions
basically others do what you want them
to do whether they actually want to or
not
whereas soft power is more about getting
others to want
what you want and smart power considers
how it's often important
to strategically be able to balance both
hard
and soft power approaches what do you
think are the most
important aspects of power in the world
today here we focus mostly on
state power but what do we make of the
growing
power and influence of non-state actors
in the world today
think the increasing power of
corporations and other non-state actors
like
ngo or extremist organizations like isis
that i mentioned earlier
and as always thank you for watching
subscribe if you haven't already to
make sure you don't miss anything in the
future you can check out a few of my
other videos right here and well we'll
see you again
next time
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