Power And Influence

Question 1

traditional def of power according to who?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Def of power Parietti

Answer 2

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

Question 3

7 aspects ti distinguish btwn def

Answer 3

Relation of influence
Intentionality
Ability or actions
Observable or latent
Relational or in structures
Necessity of effectiveness
Needing to change behaviour or also ideas

Question 4

Explain relation to influence

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Intentionality

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Ability/ act

Answer 6

Can one possess power?
Yes: it is about thé capacity to act
No: power is about thé exercise, it needs to bé exercised

Question 7

Observable/ latent

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Relational/ structural

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

Effectiveness

Answer 9

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)

Question 10

Change behaviour or also ideas?

Answer 10

What change should bé brought to bé power?
.beh: otherwise no (observable) effects
.ideas: internalised, Can affect future

Question 11

Two main approaches of power

Answer 11

Power as
A a resource, possessing power
B an instrument, applying power

Question 12

Hard power

Answer 12

. Military + economic growth, sanctions means: force

Question 13

Def soft power

Answer 13

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…)

Question 14

Différent capabilities/ sources of soft power according to who?

Answer 14

Masood
Trade and industry
Agriculture and industry
Technology
Diplomatic services, intelligence
Information, media

Question 15

Critics of soft power

Answer 15

. Réalistes: soft power is still based on hard power
. Espcially useful to contraste with hard power but broad concept

Question 16

Smart power

Answer 16

Ex usa
Stratégic combination of hard and soft power
Mostly a policy concept that did not gain that much traction in scholary debate

Question 17

What is thé normative power europe

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Critics of normative power europe

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Explain other concept of power (2 more criterions) and by who?

Answer 19

Goldmann
.’offensive power’ :Dahl’s def
.’defensive power’: thé “ ability to avoir being controlled by other”
Def influenced by thé west

Question 20

Power dynamics

Answer 20

.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?

Question 21

pros of soft power

Answer 21

1. 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

Question 22

pros of hard power

Answer 22

1. immediate result
2. tangible and mesurable
   3.Deterrence: A strong military or economic position can deter adversaries from taking hostile actions.

Question 23

cons of hard power

Answer 23

high costs, unintended consequences, escalation, ineffeciveness, moral and ethical concern (that can damage the reputation)

Question 24

what is Wrong’s definition of power

Answer 24

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

Question 25

according to wrong, differences between force, manipulation and persuasion and authority as forms of power

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Wrong regards the threat of force not as a subcategory of ‘force’ but as a subcategory of ‘authority’. Can you explain why?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

What aspects does Masood identify as possible sources of soft power for both China and India (similarities and differences)?

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

3 reasons why Masood argue that it is easier for India to gain soft power, than it is for China?

Answer 28

-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.

Question 29

def of ‘state-to-state’ soft power and ‘people-to-people’ soft power, according to who?

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

what is ‘accomodation’ according to Masood

Answer 30

“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.