Colombia - A Case Study in Smart Power

Abstract

Abstract : This monograph first examines three kinds of powers that nations might wield on the international stage: hard power, soft power, and smart power. Generally speaking, hard power is military and economic force. Soft power is human diplomacy, development assistance, and cultural attraction. Smart power is a balanced synthesis of the two, an integrated approach that has gained traction in the national security community as a preferred way of engaging in foreign and national security relations. The paper then focuses on the employment of smart power strategy in a single country context, Colombia. The period examined is roughly between 1999 and 2010, the time span corresponding to a major upsurge in U.S. support under Plan Colombia and Plan Colombia's follow-on programs. The monograph seeks to answer two questions. First, in the approximate period cited, as Colombia emerged from near failed state status, to what extent was the United States engagement there an example of smart power? And second, was this smart power strategy effective in Colombia?