Alan G. Stolberg, “Crafting National Interests in the 21st Century,” In U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues. 5th ed. Vol. II, ed. J. Boone Bartholomees, Jr., 13-21.Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, June 2012.
- Definition of National Interests. p. 14
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For US, Executive Branch sets interests external to our border, internal interests are a more complex affair involving legislative branch and local/state/national government.
- Uses for National Interests. p. 15
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Objectives/ends are attainable goals towards the overarching national interest that can be attained using instruments of national power
- Fixed or Changing National Interests. p.15-16
Fixed: Morgenthau's definition focuses on the fixed importance of interests and less on a strict requirement that interests be unchanging (US interests have definitely changes since our founding in the 18th Century).
Changing: Interests are subject to external/internal influence of the time, domestic pressures, international environment, etc.
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- Realism or Morality Based National Interests. p. 16-18
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Morality-based: focused on more intangible interests such as human rights, self-determination, economic security, preventing human suffering
Military may still be the national power of choice for humanitarian/morality-based interventions: Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo
Do not have to have mutually exclusive pursuit of Realist vs. Morality-based... different weighting of values
Henry Kissinger: "We cannot abandon national security in pursuit of of virtues. But beyond this bedrock of all policy, our challenge is to advance our principles in a way that does not isolate the US in the long run." p. 18.
- Categorization and Intensity of National Interests. p. 18-19
Prioritization: critical to determine when interests are in conflict (resources/time/attention) and provides framework for systematic evaluation
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No impact to actor's security or well-being of populace, desirable but not crucial if unsuccessful
- Survival: existence of actor is at stake (closer time horizon than vital)
Most important as it represents protecting citizens and their institutions from attack by the enemy and cannot be compromised
Whatever can be done, must be done, including military force.
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- The influence of Interests on 21st Century Policy and Strategy Making. p. 20-21
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Must be able to communicate the priority of interest and cost to the nation to ensure domestic political support/acceptance.
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- Intro: Interests are essential to establishing the objectives or ends that serve as the goals for policy and strategy. p. 13-14
All players in international politics have interests (nations, international subsystems, individual units, subunits, individuals)
Interests are what the actor values: standard of conduct or state of affairs worthy of achievements by its universal moral value
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Intensity/importance of interest: chronological (near term vs. long term) vs. substantive impact on actor: in a zero sum environment, what intensity leaders value can determine which interests are acted upon