What does soft power refer to?

Cultural influence

*The correct answer is Option 1 - Cultural influence*

Soft power refers to Cultural influence.

The predominance of the US in the world today is based not only on its military power and economic prowess, but also on its cultural presence. Whether we choose to recognise the fact or not, all ideas of the good life and personal success, most of the dreams of individuals and societies across the globe, are dreams churned out by practices prevailing in twentieth-century America. America is the most seductive, and in this sense the most powerful, culture on earth. This attribute is called ‘soft power’: the ability to persuade rather than coerce. Over time we get so used to hegemony that we hardly notice it, any more than we notice the rivers, birds, and trees around us.