ABSTRACT
For those foreign policy makers who intuitively acknowledge the growing importance of soft power, the biggest and perhaps most persistent question is no longer whether soft power exists but how and to what extent one can or should wield it for specific policy purposes. This is because in the case of soft power, more than in the case of hard power, it is difficult or impossible to establish a causal relationship between inputs and outcomes; furthermore, policies on occasion invite unintended consequences-often negative ones. On top of that, government involvement in the realm of soft power is liable to be seen as meddlesome intrusion by the authorities into matters of personal taste and beliefs, raising suspicions and causing an almost reflexive backlash. These challenges have kept policy discussions on soft power from maturing.
