Systems Thinking and Counterinsurgencies

Abstract

This article presents the essentials of a successful counterinsurgency strategy by applying a technique known as systems thinking.1 The fundamentals of good strategic thought lie both in recognizing the most significant interactions between different players, how they influence each other in unexpected ways, and how to measure progress in achieving the ends of the strategy. Systems thinking has proven successful in other contexts at explaining human behavior, policy choices, unintended consequences, and the resistance of systems to change. It also offers insight into how to assess one of the most difficult questions related to strategy in complex environments how to know when the strategy has been successful.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA490502

Entities

People

  • Jim Baker

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Counterinsurgency
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Human Behavior
  • Insurgency
  • Local Governments
  • Military Personnel
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Security
  • Social Sciences
  • Students
  • Thinking
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.