Soft Power and the Assembly: Foreign Public Opinion and Voting in the UNGA
28 Pages Posted: 20 May 2019
Date Written: April 20, 2019
Abstract
The concept of soft power – the influence of a country’s attractiveness on foreign public perception – has gained significant traction in international relations and beyond. However, few attempts have been made to assess its impact on foreign policy. We analyze the relationship between public perceptions of foreign countries and shared voting behaviors in the United Nations General Assembly. We find robust cross-national support for the concept of soft power in international affairs: favorable public opinion is associated with closer United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voting behaviors.
Keywords: Foreign Policy, Foreign Public Opinion, UNGA, Soft Power
JEL Classification: F5, F53
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation