This paper provides a more systematic analysis of smart power. The article is divided into six sections. The first offers a brief analysis of both hard and soft power. The second explains the growing importance of soft and smart power in modern world affairs, and concomitantly sheds light on the rationale for greater attention to the use of smart power in international politics. The third section offers a more systematic analysis of the relationship between hard and soft power. The fourth analyzes smart power in the context of recent U.S. foreign policy. The fifth section proposes important decision-making conditions that are necessary for the effective employment of smart power policies. The final section offers concluding remarks.