The Foreign Policy Potential of “small State Soft Power” Information Strategies

A 1997 Commonwealth Secretariat report on small states commented that “for small states, particularly those that are remote from the major markets and commercial and financial centers, the communications revolution has created the possibility of reducing traditional barriers and opened up new opportunities.” Drawing upon existing research by Nye, Melissen, Chong and others, soft power can be argued to be a source of disproportionate clout for small states in a globalizing context. Soft power’s information strategies can be explored in three dimensions: enlargement of political economy potential; models of good governance; and diplomatic mediation. Case studies of Panama, the Vatican City and Singapore will be employed.