Measuring National Power in the Post-Industrial Age

by Tellis, Ashley J.; Bially, Janice; Layne, Christopher; MacPherson, Melissa

• ISBN13: 9780833027924
• ISBN10: 0833027921
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-12-19
• Publisher: RAND Corporation

Summary

The arrival of post-industrial society has transformed the tradiditonal bases of national power, and thus the methods used to measure the relative power requires not merely a meticulous detailing of visible military assests but also a scrutiny of larger c

Table of Contents

Preface	iii
Figures	ix
Summary	xi
Introduction: Why the Interest in National Power?	1	(12)
The Emerging Information Technology Revolution	1	(4)
Understanding National Power in the Postindustrial Age	5	(4)
The Nature and Content of This Report	9	(4)
``Power'' and ``National Power'': Some Conceptual Considerations	13	(12)
Examining the Abstract Concept of Power	13	(3)
Relating Power to National Power	16	(3)
What National Capabilities Matter Most in Producing National Power?	19	(6)
Reviewing Traditional Approaches to Measuring National Power	25	(10)
Single-Variable Approaches to Measuring National Power	26	(2)
Multivariable Approaches to Measuring National Power	28	(2)
A Summary of Traditional Approaches to Measuring National Power	30	(5)
Toward A Revised View of Measuring National Power	35	(18)
Assessing the Power Capability of Specific Target Countries	36	(3)
The Relationship Among Economic Innovation, Military Capabilities, and Hegemony	39	(5)
Defining National Power	44	(9)
Measuring National Resources	53	(38)
Technology	53	(12)
Analyzing the Technological Capabilities of a Target Country	54	(2)
Indicators of Critical Technologies	56	(9)
Enterprise	65	(8)
Indicators of Entrepreneurship	66	(7)
Human Resources	73	(7)
Indicators of Human Capital Resources	75	(5)
Financial/Capital Resources	80	(8)
Indicators of Financial/Capital Resources	82	(6)
Physical Resources	88	(3)
Indicators of Physical Resources	88	(3)
Measuring National Performance	91	(42)
External Constraints	92	(10)
Infrastructural Capacity	102	(20)
Self-Control	108	(5)
Social Control	113	(9)
Ideational Resources	122	(11)
Instrumental Rationality	124	(3)
Substantive Rationality	127	(6)
Measuring Military Capability	133	(44)
Strategic Resources	136	(7)
Defense Budgets	136	(2)
Manpower	138	(1)
Military Infrastructure	138	(1)
Combat RDT&E Institutions	139	(1)
Defense Industrial Base	140	(1)
Warfighting Inventory and Support	141	(2)
Conversion Capability	143	(15)
Threats and Strategy	144	(2)
Structure of Civil-Military Relations	146	(2)
Foreign Military-to-Military Relations	148	(1)
Doctrine, Training, and Organization	149	(3)
Capacity for Innovation	152	(6)
Combat Proficiency	158	(19)
Conclusion	177	(2)
Appendix: Quantitative Indicators of National Power	179	(4)
Bibliography	183