How Nations Actually Succeed in Rivalries: The Societal Sources of Competitive Advantage

Abstract: Nations rise and fall, succeed or fail in rivalries, and enjoy stability or descend into chaos because of a complex web of factors. One critical component of any such recipe is the package of essential social characteristics of a nation. The ultimate story of the Cold War, for example, is that the United States was simply a more competitive society than the Soviet Union: more energetic, more vibrant, more innovative, more productive, more legitimate. This study explored the ways in which the characteristics of a society determine its competitive standing in the context of today's emerging rivalries. The research identified seven key characteristics of competitively successful nations, as well as deriving broader insights about the factors that govern national competitive position. It applied this framework to the United States and offered tentative conclusions about how well we are positioned to succeed in the current rivalries.

Bio: Michael Mazarr is a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Prior to coming to RAND he served as Professor of National Security Strategy and Associate Dean at the U.S. National War College in Washington, D.C. He has served as special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, president and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center, senior vice president for strategic planning at the Electronic Industries Alliance, legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, and senior fellow and editor of The Washington Quarterly at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He holds AB and MA degrees from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs.