Types of Power

Hard Power

The ability of one actor to ***influence another through coercion (the use of  threats or rewards),*** typically involving military ‘sticks’ or economic ‘carrots.’ It is the use of  military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This  form of political power is often aggressive, and is most effective when imposed by one political  body upon another of lesser military and/or economic power. Some commentators describe hard  power as the capacity to coerce another to act in ways in which they would not have acted  otherwise.

Soft Power

A persuasive approach to international politics without coercion, commonly  involving economic or cultural influence. ***It describes the ability to attract and co-opt rather than  coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion (Nye).*** A country's soft power, rests on three sources: culture (in places where it is attractive to others), political values (when it lives up  to them at home and abroad), and foreign policies (when others see them as legitimate and  having moral authority).

Smart Power

Concept advance by Joseph Nye which combines hard power and soft power strategies. China is a state recently cited as using smart power to achieve its foreign policy goals. *•* ***Economic power:*** capacity to influence other states through economic means. It is composed  of a country's industrial base, natural resources, capital, technology, geographic position, health  system and education system.

Military Power

Capacity to use force or the threat of force to influence other states.  Components of military power include number of divisions, armaments, organization, training,  equipment, readiness, deployment and morale. The capabilities of state military forces and ability  to project power to influence.

Social Power

The degree of influence that an individual or organization has among their peers  and within their society as a whole. The social power of a person or business often results in it  being copied by others, and such power can typically be credited to the level of the skill,  knowledge, information or fame that they possess in a desirable area of expertise

Cultural Power

Programs often funded by the government, where success is measured not so  much by market share but by their ‘being there’ and ‘influencing.’ E.g., Confucius Institutes and  British Council teaching language courses around the world, film, cultural and book festivals, dance  troops, and touring art exhibits.

Ideological Power

Power that allows one to influence people’s wishes and thoughts, even  making them want things opposed to their own self-interest (e.g., causing women to support a  patriarchal society).

Structural Power

The ability to shape the frameworks within which global actors relate to one  another, thus affecting “how things shall be done.” Power as mainly related to the establishment  of structures, or the control over structures, in international relations. Susan Strange defines structural power as the power “to decide how things shall be done, the power to shape  frameworks within which states relate to each other, relate to people, or relate to corporate  enterprises.”

Multilateral Power

In collective power situations, co-operating individuals can enhance their joint  power over a third party.

Situational Power

The power that can be applied, and is reasonable, in a given situation. Not  all elements of power can be applied to every situation.