A Comprehensive Study of National Image

Abstract

How does information about country characteristics affect cultivating positive national image in the context of public diplomacy projects? The successful implementation of foreign policy projects that aim to gain the 'hearts and minds' of the public in a target country requires a proper understanding of public support of these projects within the target country. While billions of dollars are expended in the name of public diplomacy, empirical research examining the effects of such projects are rare. Using an original large scale survey project and embedded conjoint experiment design covering 12 countries and over 17,000 respondents, we investigate the public views towards foreign policy projects that aim to gain the 'hearts and minds' of the public in a foreign country. We find, contrary to conventional expectations, that reputational attributes, such as respect for minority rights or emergency relief efforts, exert greater influence than economic or cultural attributes. Moreover, such effects varies widely across countries and by country characteristics.