Sharp power is the use of diplomatic and political manipulation by one country to influence and undermine the political system of a target country.
History
The
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide and counter communism, communist influence abroad, by prom ...
(NED) popularised the term "sharp power" (in use since the early 19th century) in November 2017; it appeared in an article in
''Foreign Affairs'' magazine describing aggressive and
subversive
Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to sabotage the established social order and its structures of power, authority, tradition, hierarchy, and socia ...
policies employed by authoritarian governments as a projection of state power in democratic countries, policies that cannot be described as either hard power or soft power. The NED article specifically names the Russian state-funded
RT News Network and the Chinese state-sponsored
Confucius Institute educational partnerships as examples of sharp power. According NED, autocratic states "are not necessarily seeking to "win hearts and minds" (the common frame of reference for soft power efforts), but they are surely seeking to manipulate their target audiences by distorting the information that reaches them.
Since 2018 the term "sharp power" has been used in news articles, scholarly discussions, and Congressional hearings. Representatives of the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
have used the phrase, dismissing Western claims that their country has engaged in sharp-power practices.
Overview
Sharp power can include attempts by one country to
manipulate and manage information about itself in the news media and educational systems of another country, for the purpose of misleading or dividing public opinion in a target country, or for masking or diverting attention away from negative information about itself.
Sharp power, as stated by Christopher Walker "takes advantage of the asymmetry between free and unfree systems, allowing authoritarian regimes both to limit free expression and to distort political environments in democracies while simultaneously shielding their own domestic public spaces from democratic appeals coming from abroad.”
Soft power policies can include
student exchanges and the sponsoring of
cultural and sporting events. Sharp power is distinguished from
soft power
In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-option, co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power). It involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. Soft power is ...
, which are attractive policies that project a positive impression of one country and promote greater understanding with another country, ultimately to influence the decisions of another country through persuasion. Sharp power is also distinct from
hard power
In politics, hard power is the use of military and economics, economic means to social influence, influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This form of political power is often aggressive (coercion), and is most immediately ...
, which are coercive policies by one country to compel another country into taking action or changing its decisions. Hard power can include
military force
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable ...
,
economic sanctions
Economic sanctions or embargoes are Commerce, commercial and Finance, financial penalties applied by states or institutions against states, groups, or individuals. Economic sanctions are a form of Coercion (international relations), coercion tha ...
, and
diplomatic threats.
Sharp power often has a digital element to it. In particular
Chinese exercises in sharp power are carried out almost entirely online.
See also
*
Soft power
In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-option, co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power). It involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. Soft power is ...
*
Hard power
In politics, hard power is the use of military and economics, economic means to social influence, influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This form of political power is often aggressive (coercion), and is most immediately ...
*
Smart power
*
Power projection
Power projection (or force projection or strength projection) in international relations is the capacity of a state to deploy and sustain forces outside its territory. The ability of a state to project its power into an area may serve as an eff ...
*
Power (international relations)
In international relations, power is defined in several different ways. Material definitions of state power emphasize economic and military power. Other definitions of power emphasize the ability to structure and constitute the nature of social ...
*
Power (social and political)
In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thro ...
*
Abusive power and control
Controlling behavior in relationships are behaviors exhibited by an individual who seeks to gain and maintain control over another person. Abusers may utilize tactics such as intimidation or coercion, and may seek personal gain, personal gratific ...
*
Political warfare
Political warfare is the use of hostile political means to compel an opponent to do one's will. The term ''political'' describes the calculated interaction between a government and a target audience, including another state's government, militar ...
*
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), has been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations ( MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...
and
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
*
Active measures
Active measures () is a term used to describe political warfare conducted by the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The term, which dates back to the 1920s, includes operations such as espionage, propaganda, sabotage and assassination, b ...
*
Hostage diplomacy
Hostage diplomacy, also hostage-diplomacy, is the taking of hostages for diplomatic purposes. While common in the ancient world, it is a controversial practice in modern diplomacy. Modern countries regarded as having engaged in hostage diplomac ...
References
External links
*
From 'Soft Power' to 'Sharp Power: Revisiting the Conceptual Vocabulary."
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide and counter communism, communist influence abroad, by prom ...
. December 8, 2017.
*
Rubio Chairs China Commission Hearing on Beijing's Exporting of Authoritarianism"
Senator Marco Rubio (December 13, 2017).
*
Sunlight v subversion: What to do about China’s 'sharp power." ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' (December 14, 2017).
*
China's Sharp and Soft Power"
The Stimson Center (May 31, 2018).
*
Sharp Power and Democratic Resilience Series (June 18, 2021).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp Power
Diplomacy
Power (international relations)
International relations terminology
Power (social and political) concepts
Globalization