Soft Power and the Assembly: Foreign Public Opinion and Voting in the UNGA

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