English
Cognitive Power
Cognitive power shapes what is perceived as plausible, legitimate, and necessary long before formal decisions are made. This category brings together CSR analyses exploring this structural dimension of power—from the cognitive infrastructures that shape strategic perception to the Cognitive Infrastructures of Legitimization (CIL) through which States build legitimacy by mobilizing memory, national symbols, and commemorative milestones.
-
Von der Leyen, dissent and European democracy: when opposition enters the threat perimeter
From the 2022 “we have tools” remark to the Democracy Shield, CSR examines the relationship between von der Leyen, dissent and European democracy, assessing where the boundary lies between political opposition, interference, disinformation and democratic security.
-
International Order: Partition into Spheres of Influence or Modularity of Alliances?
Following the NATO summit in Ankara, two opposing interpretations of the shifting international order have emerged: either the United States is tacitly negotiating a new division into spheres of influence, or it is restructuring its alliances without abandoning them.
-
How Cognitive Power Normalizes Geopolitical Crises
International crises rarely remain exceptional for long. The CSR Framework explores the cognitive value chains—media, think tanks, technology platforms, and regulatory standards—that gradually redefine exceptional events as the new normal, often well before political decisions are formally taken.
-
Cognitive Power as the Infrastructure of Strategic Decision-Making
Long before a strategic decision is formally made, the boundaries of what appears plausible, legitimate, and necessary have already been defined. The CSR Framework describes this underlying dimension as cognitive power: the foundational infrastructure that shapes how international actors interpret reality, assess alternatives, and make strategic decisions.
-
The Cognitive Power of National Commemorations
The 250th anniversary of the United States serves as the case study for the first paper in the CSR Papers series. It introduces the concept of Cognitive Infrastructures of Legitimization (CIL)—an analytical category for understanding how States transform collective memory and national commemorations into instruments of strategic legitimization.