Persistent Engagement and Cost Imposition: Distinguishing between Cause and Effect
Abstract
For the last 70 years, the term cost imposition has been deeply engrained in U.S. nuclear and conventional strategic theory and policymaker discussions of strategy. The term has anchored the conceptualization and application of coercive strategies seeking to influence an adversary's strategic decision calculus in crises and armed conflict. The threat of or actual imposition of costs has been the central causal mechanism to achieve those U.S. strategic ends, primarily through deterrence or compellence. Given the centrality of the term in decades of strategic practice and discourse, its not surprising that it is invoked today in discussions of strategy for the cyber strategic environment. But many scholars have argued it has little to no relevance in cyberspace. In an effort to bridge this gap, this product offers a reconceptualization of cost imposition to better align it with the core features and dynamic of the cyber strategic environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1221870
Entities
People
- Michael P. Fischerkeller
- Richard J. Harknett
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses
- University of Cincinnati