Describe the US hegemony as a ‘soft power’ with the help of any two examples.

Hegemony by definition the social, cultural, ideological, and/or economic influence exerted by a dominant group. It can be expressed in a variety of ways. The cultural dominance of the United States is a softer hegemony that is employed on the world. For example –

a) The cultural practices prevalent in the 20th Century USA is often looked upon as positive. Its ideas regarding the concept of good life and its benchmark for personal goals is considered as achievement worthy. This makes it easier as cultural hegemony acts as persuasive power rather than a coercive one.

b) The US often failed when it went against the Soviet Union during the Cold War era in areas of hard or structural hegemony. But in case of soft hegemony it presented the picture of liberal capitalism which made the common Soviet population realise the drawbacks in their centrally planned economy.