Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email
{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Theempireisgoneandwenolongerrulethewaves.ButBritainisonceagainthemostpowerfulnationonearth,accordingtoanewsurvey,whenitcomesto"softpower".FromDannyBoyle'sinspiringOlympicopeningceremony,to22No1albumsoverseas,toAndyMurray'slonghoped-forfirstGrandSlamtitle,Britainprojectsmorepositiveinfluencearoundtheworldthananyothernation. Forthefirsttime,BritainhasbeatentheUStothetopspotinanannualsurveyofglobalsoftpower.CoinedbyaHarvardacademicin1990,thetermdescribeshowcountriesuseattractionandpersuasion,ratherthancoercionorpayment,tochangebehaviour. Monoclemagazine'sannual"GlobalSoftPower"survey,publishedtomorrow,ranksnationsaccordingtotheirstandardofgovernment;diplomaticinfrastructure;culturaloutput;capacityforeducation;andappealtobusiness. ThetopfivespotswenttoBritain,theUS,Germany,FranceandSweden.Thelistiscalculatedusingamatrixof50factorsthatindicatetheuseofsoftpower.Someareempirical–suchasthenumberofculturalmissions,Olympicmedalsandforeignstudentsacountrycanclaim;othersaremoresubjective–withcountriesrankedforthequalityoftheircuisine,architectureandbusinessbrands. TylerBrûlé,Monocle'seditor-in-chief,saidyesterday:"We'reinatime,rightnow,where,morethanever,it'snotparticularlyfashionabletogooutandwritemassivechequestogetyourwayintheworld.Armedconflicthasneverbeenlessfashionable,andifyou'reabletoeffectchangebecauseyoupresentyourselfasanattractivenationtobefriendandengagewith,thatcanonlybepositive.It'sabouttherulesofattractionandwhatmakesanationthemostattractiveintheroom." SpeakingabouthowBritainhasknockedAmericafromthetopspotinthemagazine'sthirdsurvey,MrBrûlésaid:"There'sbeenafantasticmomentuminBritainthisyear.AndatMonoclewe'rethebiggestcriticsofthisplace,too.Thisisagoodexampleofwhereyoucan'tdenytheOlympicswereveryimportant,fromaglobalpromotingpointofview,thisyear.PeopleevenfeltgoodabouttheUnionJack.TherewassomethinghappeningthissideoftheAtlanticthatsuckedthewindoutof[America's]sails.TheUShasbeenveryinward-lookingwiththeelection.Americagoesontothismoredomesticfooting–evenmorethanusual–whenthere'sanelection." MrBrûlésaidtheglobalreachofBritain'smedia,fromtheBBCWorldServicetointernationalmagazinessuchasTheEconomist,alsoplayedarole."Youdon'tneedaguidinghandofgovernmentforthesethings;theseareBritishinstitutionsthatgetinfrontofpeople." XeniaDormandy,aseniorfellowandUSexpertatChathamHouse,added:"WiththeOlympicstakingplacehere,whichgotfarmorefanfareinternationallythandomestically,andwithAmericaveryfocusedonelections,Ithinktheresultisprobablyright.TheUKhashadaveryinternationalpresencethisyearandithasbeenthebestoftheBritish.IthinkAmericavastlyundervaluestheimportanceofsoftpower.Ithasatendencytofocusonthetangibleandtheconcrete." AswellasBritainandtheUSswappingplacesinthelist,Germanymovedupfromfourthtothirdplace,asthe"undisputedleaderofacreakingEuropeanUnion".SouthKoreamovedupfrom14thto11th,afterhostinganumberofinternationalsummits,performingwellattheOlympicsandsolidifyingitspositionasadriverofinnovation.Brazilhadoneofthebiggestjumps,goingfrom21stto17th,asfastgrowthandanincreasinginternationalinterest,aheadofthenextWorldCupandOlympics,propelthecountryforward. Sport TheOlympicsbroughtglobalattentiontotheUK,withTeamGBwinning65medals.BradleyWigginsconqueredtheTourdeFranceandAndyMurraytookhisfirstGrandSlamtitleinNewYork. Film Bond–synonymouswithBritishness–waseverywhere.AppearingwiththeQueenintheOlympicsopeningceremony,thenincinemas,withtheglobalfranchise'sbiggesteverrelease,Skyfall. Tourism Some29millionvisittheUKayear,whilejust62millionvisittheUS. Entertainment BritishactorshavebecomesomeofAmerica'sfavouriteTVandfilmstars,includingDamianLewis(NicholasBrodyinHomeland)andDominicWest(DetectiveJimmyMcNultyinTheWire). Music Atotalof22BritishalbumsmadeNo1inforeigncountriesthisyear.