How to Measure Soft Power in International Relations

How to Measure Soft Power in International Relations


Gallarotti G.M.,

Professor, Department of Government, Wesleyan University, ggallarotti@wesleyan.edu



DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2020.01.07

For citation:

Gallarotti G.M. How to Measure Soft Power in International Relations. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2020.01.07



Abstract

This paper provides suggestions on how to properly operationalize “soft power” in international relations and organize the measures into categories that are more favorable for quantitative analyses. While we mention several existing indexes, analysis concentrates on the best known and most extensively applied index of “soft power”: The “Soft Power”30 Index. So far, the actually measures used for quantitative analysis based on these most popular data sets have been flawed. This paper attempts to illuminate these flaws and prescribes solutions for improving the measures. In this respect, the paper serves as an important prelude to quantitative studies of soft power. This paper is organized as follows: first, the author presents the leading measures of soft power by data base and content of each. Then he identifies flaws in measuring “soft power” and prescribes better measures. The last section offers brief concluding remarks. 

Keywords
soft power, hard power, quantitative research methods, indices, operationalization, international relations.


References

Chatin M., Gallarotti G. 2016. The BRICS and Soft Power: An Introduction. – Journal of Political Power. Vol. 9. No. 3. P. 335-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379x.2016.1232284

Elenco Global Presence Report 2015. Coordinators: L. Olivie. C. Garcia-Calvo, M Gracia. 2015. Madrid: Real Instituto Elcano. URL: http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/f36b5f004830c24a8e3b8fe0dd72d861/Global_Presence_2015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=f36b5f004830c24a8e3b8fe0dd72d861 (accessed 16.12.2019).

Kurlantzick J2007. Charm Offensive: How China’s Soft Power is Transforming the World. New Haven: Yale University Press.

McClory J. 2012. The New Persuaders III. A 2012 Global Ranking of Soft Power. London: Institute for Government. 15 p. URL: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/The%20new%20persuaders%20III_0.pdf (accessed 16.12.2019).

Trunkos J., Cerny Ph. 2018. Operationalization Soft Power from Latent to Manifest. Paper delivered at the annual meeting of the International Political Science Association, Brisbane, Australia, July 20-24.  

Content No. 1, 2020

See also:


Kostyrev A.G.,
The intelligent power, public diplomacy, and social networks as a factors of international politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No2

Liu Zaiqi,
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Lebedeva M.M., Zinovieva E.S.,
Methods of neuroscience in studying world politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 2023. No5

Andreyev A.L.,
“Soft Power”: Arrangement of Senses, Russian Style. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No5

Konkov A.E., Chukov R.S.,
Parliamentary Diplomacy: Developing Relations Between Society and State at the Mega-Political Level. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No1

 

   

Introducing an article



Polis. Political Studies
2 2002


Discussion.
Self-Reflection of Politics (Review of the Materials of Two Journals’ Round Table: Voprosy Filosofii and Polis)

 The article text (электронная версия)
 

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