Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world

Past Event
Seminar

National Power: Measuring What Matters

Open to the Public

National power is the most important variable in international relations, yet scholars still lack a reliable method for measuring it. This seminar addresses this problem by developing and testing two schools of thought about how to measure national power.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Date: Time: - Location: Littauer Building - Belfer Center Library, Room 369
British battleship HMS Dreadnought at Malta during her first full commission between 1884 and 1894.

About

National power is the most important variable in international relations, yet scholars still lack a reliable method for measuring it. This seminar addresses this problem by developing and testing two schools of thought about how to measure national power. The first measures power primarily in terms of gross flows of tangible resources and includes traditional indicators, such as gross domestic product (GDP), research and development (R&D) spending, military spending, and the Correlates of War's Composite Index of National Capabilities (CINC). The second school measures power primarily in terms of net stocks of tangible and intangible assets, such as human capital, net wealth, military platforms, and force employment. An analysis of four historical shifts in the balance of power shows that the second school of thought measures national power more accurately than the first.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.