Types of Power (DP IB Global Politics: SL): Revision Note

Introduction to power

• Power is the ability to make others do what you want them to do or to bring about change

  • It is a key concept in global politics, at the heart of every political issue

• Political theorist Steven Lukes described power as the capacity to bring about significant effects: to effect changes or prevent them

  • He also argued that power in the real world is multidimensional

• Hard, soft and smart power are terms promoted by political theorist Joseph Nye to describe how this idea of three-dimensional power manifests in the real world

Hard power

• Hard power is when an actor uses force or threats to get what they want or to bring about change

  • Force or threats can involve violence or the threat of violence but can also involve economic sanctions or threats to economic stability. 

• Hard power may be described as a stick-or-carrot approach

• The cartoon illustrates hard power in the form of the stick which is used to beat the donkey to make it walk

• The carrot can also be hard power; if the donkey is desperate or hungry enough, it will walk to get the carrot

Soft power

• Soft power is the ability of a state to influence other countries through attraction, culture, values and diplomacy rather than military or economic force

  • There are other ways to get people to do what you want them to do, and not all involve violence or threats. 

  • Many argue a more effective way is to convince or persuade people so they are convinced it's the right thing to do and less likely to resist

• Soft power manifests in the real world in a variety of ways, including

  • Establishing norms and expectations 

  • Reasoning and negotiation 

  • Cultural power

Smart power

• Smart power is the effective combination of hard and soft power being used to bring about change

• In global politics most political issues are approached using smart power tactics

  • Only using force and threats might get the desired results in the short term but can lead to long-term resentment and eventual retaliation

  • Using only soft power can be effective but will likely take longer to achieve results

• Threatening and persuading might sound like an odd combination but can have longer-lasting results