Increasing returns in military production functions
Expert InsightsPublished 1966
Text of a paper prepared for the Universities-National Bureau of Economic Research Conference on The Economics of Defense to be held April 15-16, 1966, at the University of Chicago. Two quotations, one from Mao Tse-Tung and one from Charles J. Hitch, are contrasted to pose several questions: Where and why does analytic marginalism apply well to military problems? Where not and why? When must economic analysis establish a relevant resource level before applying marginal cost/effectiveness tests? How can mutual understanding and communication be improved between military professionals and civilian analysts of military problems who apply economic principles in quantitative tests? The author discusses the issues raised by these questions in detail, and stresses the need to improve choices through a combination of military insights and economic theory. 30 pp.
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Web Only
- Year: 1966
- Pages: 33
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/pubs
- Document Number: P-3309
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