Power And Influence Flashcards
traditional def of power according to who?
Robert Dahl
A has the power over B to thé extent that they Can gets B to do smtg that B would otherwise not do
Def of power Parietti
Dahl’s def+ all thé variations (bcs contested notion) are all designed to study certain form of power: def has to bé in a context
7 aspects ti distinguish btwn def
Relation of influence
Intentionality
Ability or actions
Observable or latent
Relational or in structures
Necessity of effectiveness
Needing to change behaviour or also ideas
Explain relation to influence
Is influence power?
Some Say yes (for ex Wrong): authority and persuasion are still forms of power so influence=form of power
Some Say no: power= thé ability to change others based won PRESUMED capabilities
Intentionality
Does power have to bé intentional?
Yes: power is intentional, what is not intentional is influence : power=” thé capacity to producer intended and foreseen effects on others” (Wrong) so power =/ accidental or coincidental
No: it Can bé accidental
Ability/ act
Can one possess power?
Yes: it is about thé capacity to act
No: power is about thé exercise, it needs to bé exercised
Observable/ latent
Does power need to bé observable?
Yes: based on Dahl’s def
No:
.power also through keeping things off thé agenda (‘second face’ : see barrier model week 4)
.power Can also shaped people’s interests and keep thé unaware (‘third face’: lukes and also Foucault)
.postcolonial féminist view: smtmes résistance cannot bé Seen or expresses, kept invisible (After colonisation, no politics seems to bé interested in women, study them… Liké if they do not exist: kept INVISIBLE)=everyday acts of defiance or resilience in private spaces
Relational/ structural
Where is power located?
A. Relational: power relation, power OVER smn/ smtg
.implies power asymmetry: ruler+subject
.Arendt: power is evil, Always involves oppression
.féminisme and marxisme: power= domination and subordination so it is power over…
. intersectionality: multiple layers of domination ( for Marx or femisnism: women/ proletariat)
B. Structural: power exist in sociétal norms
.(self)-regulation and conditioning
.no disposition of power in anyone
C.structural and relational AT thé same Time (Meier and Blum)
Effectiveness
Does it have to bé effective to bé power?
.yes otherwise it is a threat
.no:
..thé likelihood of effectiveness is often enough, there is a probalbility of success
..violence is sign of declining power (Arendt)
Change behaviour or also ideas?
What change should bé brought to bé power?
.beh: otherwise no (observable) effects
.ideas: internalised, Can affect future
Two main approaches of power
Power as
A a resource, possessing power
B an instrument, applying power
Hard power
. Military + economic growth, sanctions means: force
Def soft power
Nye: “thé ability to get preferred outcomes through co-optive means of agenda-setting, persuasion, and attraction”, “when one country gets other countries to want what it wants”
relies on “cultural attraction, ideology, and international institutions”.
-appeared with the global shift of 1990’ (end of the CW, american hegemony…)
-more and more non-conventional actors (such as transnational companies) became influent, and the world became increasingly economically dependent -> military power became more costly for every parties
Is his understanding of soft power still relevant for today’s world? (rise of HP again…)
Différent capabilities/ sources of soft power according to who?
Masood
Trade and industry
Agriculture and industry
Technology
Diplomatic services, intelligence
Information, media
Critics of soft power
. Réalistes: soft power is still based on hard power
. Espcially useful to contraste with hard power but broad concept
Smart power
Ex usa
Stratégic combination of hard and soft power
Mostly a policy concept that did not gain that much traction in scholary debate
What is thé normative power europe
EU’s ability to shape global norms and values through non coercive means.
EU exerce influence in IR by promoting principles such as démo, HR, rule of Law, sustainable dvlmpt (more than military or eco strength)
Shaped what’s ‘normal’ (‘third face’ of lukes)
Introduced by Ian Manners in 2002
Critics of normative power europe
A. Double standards: not Always consistent, based on own interests ( 2 poids 2 mesures): ex support HR but also génocide in Gaza
B. EU also usés hard power (acc to Pollack, normative power europe is only an ‘ideal type’: so it is a theorical framework more than a def of EU)
C. Not (Always) based on Universal values (as claimed):EU’s “universal” norms are often Eurocentric, reflecting values and priorities rooted in European historical, cultural, and political contexts
Explain other concept of power (2 more criterions) and by who?
Goldmann
.’offensive power’ :Dahl’s def
.’defensive power’: thé “ ability to avoir being controlled by other”
Def influenced by thé west
Power dynamics
.generally, changing power dynamics involves implication for both hard and soft power
.return to hard power nowadays???
.increasing use of soft power by Authoritarian states?
pros of soft power
- fewer resources than hard power: Investing in cultural… can yield long-term influence without the financial and human costs of war or coercion.
2: sustainale influence
3.legitimacy and moral authority: States that effectively use soft power are often seen as legitimate leaders on the global stage
pros of hard power
- immediate result
- tangible and mesurable
3.Deterrence: A strong military or economic position can deter adversaries from taking hostile actions.
cons of hard power
high costs, unintended consequences, escalation, ineffeciveness, moral and ethical concern (that can damage the reputation)
what is Wrong’s definition of power
power:
-ABILITY: ability to impose sanctions (3 YES),
-LATENT: regardless of the physical or psychological factors on which the capacity (ability) rests -> can be latent
-INTENTIONALITY: can be intentional
-REATION TO INFLUENCE: influence, force, manipulation, authority, persuasion as power
-EFFECTIVENESS: doesn’t have to be effective
-RELATIONAL but can also be emmbeded in structures
-BEHAVIOUR+ IDEAS
according to wrong, differences between force, manipulation and persuasion and authority as forms of power
force: Treats the subject as a physical or biological object without regard for their autonomy or needs. It can be physical (e.g., violence, deprivation of food) or psychic (e.g., emotional harm, brainwashing). Force includes both direct actions and the threat of such actions.
-> coercion and a lack of autonomy for the subject.
ex: Physical force: Genocide, where victims face both physical and institutionalized violence; Non-violent physical force: Sit-ins blocking roads or institutions; Non-physical force: Hacking a politician by leveraging compromising information
manipulation: Involves influencing someone without their awareness of the power holder’s intent, leaving the subject unable to resist. This form of power often creates mistrust and operates subtly, even without a direct social relationship.
-> disguises intent, leaving the subject unaware of influence.
ex: Fake news campaigns that influence behavior without the audience knowing they are being manipulated.
persuasion: transparent form of power where A presents arguments, and B independently evaluates and accepts them based on merit. It is a social interaction requiring free acceptance and mutual engagement.
-> free will and reasoned acceptance, making it the least coercive form of power.
ex: A politician presenting arguments on media platforms to convince voters to support their ideas and policies.
authority: form of power that is accepted as legitimate by those over whom it is exercised. It is rooted in the willingness of individuals to obey commands because they recognize the authority figure’s right to issue them:
a) Legitimate Authority
Definition: Legitimate authority is based on a general social agreement or belief in the legitimacy of the authority figure or institution.
EX: government elected in a free and fair election exercises legitimate authority over its citizens
b) Competent Authority
Definition: Competent authority is derived from the expertise or specialized knowledge of the individual or institution.
EX: medical doctor giving health advice exercises competent authority
Wrong regards the threat of force not as a subcategory of ‘force’ but as a subcategory of ‘authority’. Can you explain why?
You need authority so that it is a threat of force, it has to be recognised legitimate
force is limited=prevent ppl do smtg, strop them from acting and authority=make ppl do smtg
What aspects does Masood identify as possible sources of soft power for both China and India (similarities and differences)?
similarities: culture, and especially the films with Bollywood for India;
maritime trade with the spice and the silk routes and nowadays the belt road initiative and the Sagarmala Project;
but also me: Medecine, technology, research, spatial power, biggest population, big territory
differences: India is a democracy, that China is looking for its soft-power to influence from inside and outside its country, that China’s strong point is finance whereas India’s is its IT industry.
3 reasons why Masood argue that it is easier for India to gain soft power, than it is for China?
-india’s people speak english -> easier for the communication, spread of ideas, values, culture, exchanges…
-India’s a democracy -> a democratic country will more go for India than for China for exchanges…
-the controlled Chinese media and culture are a barrier to Chinese’s soft power.
def of ‘state-to-state’ soft power and ‘people-to-people’ soft power, according to who?
Massod:
-China: ‘state-to-state’ soft power: s.p. carried out by the state, to try to influence other states (and citizens within the state): through the big infrastructures such as the BRI, the Confucius Institutes, the population, the media are controlled, eco influence all over the world…
-India: ‘people-to-people’ soft power: s.p. carried out by people, more than the state: the cultural influence with Bollywood, the yoga, cultural practices + democracy, count a lot of people who speaks English, and also diaspora.
what is ‘accomodation’ according to Masood
“A country achieves accommodation and powerful influence if it manages to eliminate the threat of or ongoing conflict, partly through its soft power”: “Conflict is avoided when soft power creates a profound format of interdependence between countries.”
-> the process where states adjust their policies, to reduce conflict by cooperation and peaceful existence. It relies on societal exchanges, interdependence.
