Testing the impact of geopolitics on European democratic countries’ soft power use

ABSTRACT Using statistical analysis of 29 European democracies, this article looks at the impact of geopolitical threat on democracies’ soft power reliance. For the time-period of 1999–2010, geopolitical threat is a statistically significant variable that boosts soft power use. This geopolitical theory posits that political elite create a narrative that focuses on national security and start to rely on a higher level of soft power to balance against threats. The findings provide answers regarding countries’ alliance-building processes as well as suggest that the three main paradigms of international relations are more compatible than previously stated.