除了在海外营造良好声誉、推进国家形象，软实力的非政府来源有时还可以通过其不受审查的批判反应弥补政府不受欢迎的政策 — — 比如美国入侵伊拉克。
In addition to generating good will and promoting the country’s image abroad, non-governmental sources of soft power can sometimes compensate for the government’s unpopular policies – like the US invasion of Iraq – through their critical and uncensored reaction.