Testing a Six-Factor Model on Perceived State Power and Influence: The Case of Romania

Abstract

This study seeks to invigorate research on state power and influence by focusing on external perceptions. To this end, we quantitatively operationalised a refined theoretical model indicating the potential factors that determine a state’s perceived power and influence in two steps. First, we constructed a model based on a six-factor index comprising both hard and soft resources of power. Second, we applied this factorial taxonomy to our country case study—Romania—to test empirically whether our model holds, using original surveys conducted in two neighbouring countries, Ukraine and Moldova. We sought to learn which of these factors is the most impactful and found that a hierarchy of these factors could be established, which varied depending on each country-to-country interaction.