Powell said he remains convinced that the United States should use its political and economic influence, so-called soft power, instead of military might to achieve its goals. "We should use soft power as much as possible. But when hard power is necessary, we have to use it in the right way," he said.

Kane concluded that the Turkish “blend of Islam, democracy, and soft power is a far more attractive regional template than the Iranian narrative of Islamic theocracy and hard power resistance.”

...what triggered this is that I’ve just noticed that the House of Lords actually had a debate on the coordination of UK soft power at the beginning of May. It’s all quite sensible. There’s a link to the transcript and a briefing note...

In the last hundred days, the world has seen not only how weak and divided are the European members of NATO, but also how the once-celebrated European notion of "soft power" means very little in the world of perpetually savage nations. What stops China from carving out a new co-prosperity sphere in Asian waters...

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the most glamorous young couple in the world. They have the capacity to do great things, not just for the monarchy but also for Britain on their foreign trips and it is the Commonwealth countries that should be their priority in the years to come.

CPD research fellow Caitlin Byrne (2010-2012) has been published, with co-author Rebecca Hall, by the Clingendael Institute for a piece discussing Australia's international education programs as potential arenas for enhancing soft power.