Toward quantifying soft power: the impact of the proliferation of information technology on governance in the Middle East

Abstract

This study examines how information technology and mass communication outlets have been employed as soft power platforms in the Middle East in the aftermath of 9/11/2001. The focus is on Internet access and mobile phone subscriptions to see how their proliferation has impacted government effectiveness and political stability in MENA nations from 2004 to 2014. The analysis is centred in the context of increased American investment in soft power programs in the region with the goal of reducing instability and anti-Western sentiments. We examine the nature of such investment in relation to information technology dependence. Understanding that the necessary technology is a product of Western-centric multinationals, we study the interplay between imports, foreign aid and foreign direct investment (FDI), as direct metrics of foreign capital intensity and our explanatory variables—Internet and mobile technology usage rates. The results suggest that information technology platforms contribute to improved governance, while foreign aid has a negative impact. We further examine if increased government effectiveness and stability attracted FDI, as a representation for a positive outcome of improved governance, and find that such governmental efficacy was a successful predictor of foreign direct investment growth, while political stability was not. This article is published as part of a collection on soft power.