"Moral persuasion" refers to the act of trying to influence or convince someone by appealing to their sense of right and wrong. It involves using ethics, values, or moral principles to sway someone's opinion or behavior. Full definition
Meanwhile, as the local churches were revolting against overall control, there was widespread revolt against the power of the ministers in the local churches until «after the Reforming Synod [of 1697], the clergy found themselves shorn of every weapon except moral persuasion, and their threat of [Divine] vengeance.» (religion-online.org)
NACSA has been a leader in taking action against irresponsible authorizing by running a «One Million Lives» campaign to get authorizers to close chronically low - performing schools, but NACSA has little more than the power of moral persuasion. (crpe.org)