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The phrase "carrot and stick" is a
Decades later, the idea appeared in a letter from
"The Carrot or the Stick: Rewards, Punishments, and Cooperation"
{{- 19th-century neologisms English phrases English-language idioms Metaphors referring to food and drink Coercion Carrot
metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...
for the use of a combination of reward and punishment
Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular ac ...
to induce a desired behaviour.
In politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, "carrot or stick" sometimes refers to the realist concept of soft and hard power
In politics, hard power is the use of military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This form of political power is often aggressive ( coercion), and is most immediately effective when imposed by on ...
. The carrot in this context could be the promise of economic or diplomatic aid between nations, while the stick might be the threat of military action.
Origin
The earliest English-language references to the "carrot and stick" come from authors in the mid-19th century who in turn wrote in reference to acaricature
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...
or cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of imag ...
of the time that depicted a race between donkey riders, with the losing jockey using the strategy of beating his steed with "blackthorn twigs" to urge it forward, while the winner of the race sits in his saddle relaxing and holding the butt end of his baited stick. In fact, in some oral traditions, turnips were used instead of carrots as the donkey's temptation.
Decades later, the idea appeared in a letter from Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, dated July 6, 1938: "Thus, by every device from the stick to the carrot, the emaciated Austrian donkey is made to pull the Nazi barrow up an ever-steepening hill."
The Southern Hemisphere caught up in 1947 and 1948 amid Australian newspaper commentary about the need to stimulate productivity following World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
The earliest uses of the idiom in widely available U.S. periodicals were in ''The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
's'' December 11, 1948 issue and in a ''Daily Republic
The ''Daily Republic'' is a daily newspaper in the town of Fairfield, California. It is owned by McNaughton Newspapers.
History
The ''Daily Republic'' started out as two newspapers – the ''Solano County Herald'' and the ''Solano Press''. The Cou ...
'' newspaper article that same year that discussed Russia's economy.
In the German language, as well as Russian and Ukrainian, a related idiom translates as '' sugar bread and whip''.
See also
References
External links
* EconPapers abstract for an experiment using this mode"The Carrot or the Stick: Rewards, Punishments, and Cooperation"
{{- 19th-century neologisms English phrases English-language idioms Metaphors referring to food and drink Coercion Carrot