Coercive Complementarity: Integrating the Military and Economic Instruments of Power

Abstract

This study explores the complementary nature of the economic and military instruments of power in coercive diplomacy. The study seeks to determine if the combined application of military and economic power can amplify coercive effects, and if so, how they might be integrated. Targeted primarily at practitioners of national security, the study combines a primer on the capabilities of the economic instrument of power, a comparison of the economic and military literature on coercion, and a study of the strategies used against Iraq and Serbia in the 1990s. The study argues that the economic and military can complement one another, given the right context. Understanding when the context is right requires knowledge of the regional power system, the economic links that connect regional players, and the US willingness to use military force. Not all scenarios lend themselves to an integrated military and economic coercive strategy, but when the conditions are favorable, the US experience in the 1990s suggests there are at least five concrete approaches that integrate military and economic tools to improve overall coercive effects. Understanding the applicability of these approaches requires gaining a multidimensional understanding of the nature of economic power and coercion theory that the study provides. The study concludes by offering five strategies to integrate military and economic power. These strategies use economic and military power to either amplify a third party threat, threaten regime control, increase direct costs, exacerbate a critical shortage, or create personal loss to regime supporters. While these strategies are not universally applicable, they are intended to provide policy makers with a more integrated approach to strategy development.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA425661

Entities

People

  • Harry A. Foster

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Geography
  • Globalization
  • Governments
  • International Organizations
  • International Trade
  • Law
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Political Systems
  • Public Administration
  • Treaties

Readers

  • Economics
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design