Starting from the presumption that control (Steuerung) is a relation of power, the project analyses mechanisms of soft control in areas of limited statehood in order to develop a systematic concept of soft control. Linking debates on Steuerung, governance, and power enables the identification of the specific benefits of non-hierarchical modes of coordinated social action. Building on these results, traditional conceptions of modern statehood such as sovereignty, representation and democracy will be questioned as to their applicability in contexts beyond their conditions of emergence and application in relation to the nation state.