Measuring National Power in the Postindustrial Age
The arrival of postindustrial society has transformed the traditional bases ofnational power, and thus the methods used to measure the relative power of nations should be reassessed as well. Appreciating the true basis of national power requires not merely a meticulous detailing of visible military assets but also a scrutiny of larger capabilities embodied in such variables as the aptitude for innovation, the soundness of social institutions, and the quality of the knowledge base--all of which may bear upon acountry's capacity to produce the one element still fundamental to international politics: effective military power. The authors reconfigure the notion of national power to accommodate a wider understanding of capability, advancing a conceptual framework that measures three distinct areas--national resources, national performance, and militarycapability--to help the intelligence community develop a better evaluation of a country's national power. The analysis elaborates the rationale for assessing each of these areas and offers ideas on how to measure them in tangible ways. An analyst's handbook, RAND/MR-1110/1-A, is also available.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 212
- List Price: $15.00
- Paperback Price: $12.00
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2792-1
- Document Number: MR-1110-A
- Year: 2000
- Series: Monograph Reports
Contents
Preface PDF
Figures PDF
Summary PDF
Chapter One
Introduction: Why the Interest in National Power? PDF
Chapter Two
"Power" and "National Power": Some Conceptual Considerations PDF
Chapter Three
Reviewing Traditional Approaches to Measuring National Power PDF
Chapter Four
Toward a Revised View of Measuring National Power PDF
Chapter Five
Measuring National Resources PDF
Chapter Six
Measuring National Performance PDF
Chapter Seven
Measuring Military Capability PDF
Chapter Eight
Conclusion PDF
Appendix PDF
Bibliography PDF
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