September 2018

Combating Sharp Power with Soft Power

Globalization has enabled authoritarian governments to exert increasing influence within the democracies. This engagement has involved efforts at censorship, or the use of manipulation to sap the integrity of independent institutions. This “sharp power” has the effect of limiting free expression and distorting the political environment. As part of any response, democracies should use their natural competitive advantage and engage civil society to combat sharp power, rather than attempting to engage in equally intrusive campaigns. Kalathil argues that democracies must “rethink how [they] can most effectively project their voices and define their values.”

Related Content

• “How Democracies Can Fight Authoritarian Sharp Power” by Christopher Walker, Shanthi Kalathil, and Jessica Ludwig
• “How Should Democracies Respond to China’s Authoritarian Challenge?” by Shanthi Kalathil
• “The ‘CAMP’ Sectors and the Threat from Sharp Power” by Christopher Walker
• “What is Sharp Power?” by Christopher Walker
• “Sharp Power: Rising Authoritarian Influence“

“Autocrats are now bending globalization to their own ends by manipulating discourse abroad, especially in the wide-open information space afforded to them by the democracies.”   — Christopher Walker

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