The vast literature and references in policy circles that have followed Nye’s seminal article of 1990 attest to the now extraordinary status of soft power in the study of international politics. And yet much has been neglected. The collection of articles in this special issue of the Journal of Political Power represents cutting-edge analyses of under-explored subjects and issues in the realm of soft power, and speaks largely to the process and impact of soft power. These contributions illuminate important nuances in the process by which soft power is manifest. They also demonstrate that soft power has a deep and significant impact in world politics.