IAFF 1005 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Human Capital, Humanitarian Intervention, Hegemony
26 Mar 2020
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Document Summary
Ability to get others to do what they otherwise would not do. Difficult to know the intentions/reasons of others. Scholars/analysts therefore focus on what they can observe, tangible sources of power. Sources: geographic, demographic, military, economic, technological, political, soft power. Forces: armies, navies, air forces, nuclear weapons, special forces, space systems. Measurement problems: bean counting (money or machines) is incomplete. Land, water, forests, fisheries, energy, raw material. Population parameters: overall size and age distribution. Size and skill of the labor force a key to economic power. Nationalism led to mass armies in 18th, 19th, 20th centuries, skill levels. Outputs: gdp, innovations, potential to convert economic power to military power. Inputs: spending on research, higher education, culture of innovativeness. Hard power: coercion, blackmail, sanctions, force push . Leading power likes the status quo, rising power wants to change status quo. When one power has clear superiority, war is less likely. Leading power acts out while still ahead.
