#5: What Is Soft Power (And Why Does It Matter)?

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" - Mao Zedong, 1927

"In the 21st century, culture is power" - Park Geun-hye (ex President of South Korea, home of Gangnam Style)

How do other countries win the political game without force? Why is language such a fantastic tool to project power across the world? What is Donald Trump doing for US interests outside the US? 

Learn about how soft power is a vital tool in the global diplomatic toolbox, and how countries use it to advance their diplomatic aims.

Topics covered:

• The history of soft power
• Why it is no longer acceptable to attack other countries
• What components go into soft power
• Why language is the ultimate example of soft power (and why countries promote the learning of their language)
• The UK's soft power across the world
• The Soft Power Report (and who came top in 2019)
• Why the UK, France, Italy, the US, Sweden and Estonia all do well in terms of soft power
• China's soft power initiatives
• Why you can't buy soft power
• Why politicians neglect soft power
• What Europeans think of the US since 2016

Key vocabulary: Self-proclaimed, Geopolitics, Zero-sum, Projected, Coercion, Sanctions, Aspirational, Coined, Lingua franca, Dominant, Packs a sizeable punch, Prevalence, Gradual, Decline, Institutions, Slipped, Footprint, Republican, Imprint, Mastery, Amplifies, Deemed, Agenda, Funding, Portray, Toolbox, Timeframes, Reap, Foster, Blossom, Soundbites, Hostile, Struggle, Ranked, Bound, Dividends, Set in motion, Shift, Packs a substantial soft power punch, Neglect

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/what-is-soft-power-and-why-does-it-matter

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