Toolbox Talk: Power!

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Or, “speak loudly and carry an even bigger stick!” There are different kinds of power and different ways to wield them… and it’s not always clear what’s our best kind of power to bring to bear in a given situation. In this “toolbox talk,” we team up with Kelsey, who runs the Women in Diplomacy podcast, to work through the meanings of hard, soft, and smart power, and their benefits and drawbacks.

Plugs

• Kelsey’s Podcast, Women in Diplomacy
• Rex Factor!
• FoggofWar

Errata:

• When discussing Russia and Ukraine, Erik says “Haidan Revolution” and meant “Maidan Revolution”

Sources

• http://www.ernestjwilson.com/uploads/Hard%20Power,%20Soft%20Power,%20Smart%20Power.pdf
• http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/between-hard-power-and-soft/618798
• http://www.lagrange.edu/resources/pdf/citations/2010/22quirk_politicalscience.pdf
• https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/brexit-global-balance-of-power-by-joseph-s–nye-2016-04
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater%E2%80%93Nichols_Act
• https://csis.org/program/smart-power-initiative
• Smart Power: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2009-07-01/get-smart
• Hard Power: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_power
  • Joseph Nye, 2004: Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics
• Soft Power: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_power

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