Current History Virtual Issue on Soft Power

Soft Power has become a familiar if somewhat vague notion in world affairs since the political scientist (and Current History contributing editor) Joseph S. Nye Jr. coined the term in 1990. Pundits and politicians invoke it to praise the virtues of any sort of influence that does not depend directly on military strength. This collection of previously published Current History articles brings the idea of soft power into sharper focus by examining regional variations.


The Information Revolution and Power
Volume 113, Number 759, January 2014
Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

Soft Power’s Rise and Fall in East Asia
Volume 112, Number 755, September 2013
Jing Sun

Moscow’s Soft Power Strategy
Volume 112, Number 756, October 2013
Andrei P. Tsygankov

Propaganda and Power in the Middle East
Volume 112, Number 758, December 2013
Emile Nakhleh

The Brazilian Soft Power Tradition
Volume 113, Number 760, February 2014
Miriam Gomes Saraiva

Is the European Union’s Soft Power in Decline?
Volume 113, Number 761, March 2014
Karen E. Smith

Indian Soft Power in a Globalizing World
Volume 113, Number 762, April 2014
T.V. Paul

South Africa’s Emerging Soft Power
Volume 113, Number 763, May 2014
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos