Soft power beyond liberal democracy. Authoritarian attraction, legitimacy and diffusion

Soft power is one of the most widely used concepts in political science, but it has underestimated the attractiveness of illiberal or autocratic states due to its inherent liberal bias. In response, this article proposes a framework of authoritarian attraction emphasising the relational nature of power with three distinct analytical categories: (1) sender strategies, (2) audience preferences, and (3) behavioural outcomes. By drawing on and synthesising existing literatures on (soft) power, authoritarian legitimation, diffusion, and audience studies, the article uses the case of China to explore authoritarian attempts to attract and persuade, how these attempts are perceived abroad, and to what extent authoritarian proliferation is driven by learning and emulation. Finally, the article provides an agenda for further research to sharpen our research questions and improve our methodological approaches towards a better understanding of authoritarian attraction.