Compound Containment: A Reigning Power's Military-Economic Countermeasures against a Challenging Power

Scholars of great power politics have traditionally focused on examining a reigning powers military containment of a challenging power. Compound Containment demonstrates that these conventional studies are flawed without a sound understanding of the multilayered aspects of containment strategy in great power politics. This book investigates when a reigning power will make its military containment of a challenging power “compound” by simultaneously employing restrictive economic measures. Its main theoretical claims are corroborated by an analysis of key historical cases of reigning power-challenging power competition, and it offers policy prescriptions for the United States by examining whether the United States is in a position to complement military containment of China with restrictive economic measures.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2022
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Scholars of great power politics have traditionally focused on examining a reigning power's military containment of a challenging power. In direct contrast, Compound Containment demonstrates that these conventional studies are flawed without a sound understanding of the multilayered aspects of containment strategy in great power politics. Since economic capacity and military power are intimately linked to one another, countering a challenging power requires addressing both economic and military dimensions. Nonetheless, this nexus of security and economy in a reigning power's response to a challenging power cannot be explained by traditional theories that dominate research in international security. Author Dong Jung Kim fills a gap in the scholarship on great power competition by investigating when a reigning power will make its military containment of a challenging power "compound" by simultaneously employing restrictive economic measures.

Its main theoretical claims are corroborated by an analysis of key historical cases of reigning power-challenging power competition. This book also offers policy prescriptions for the United States by examining whether the United States is in a position to complement military containment of China with restrictive economic measures.

The United States has long employed military containment as a key strategy to manage its relations with other nations. This approach involves using military force to prevent a challenging power from gaining significant influence or expanding its territory. However, in recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of economic measures to complement military containment. This is known as "compound containment."

Compound containment involves using economic sanctions, trade restrictions, and other economic tools to limit a challenging power's access to resources, capital, and markets. The goal is to undermine the challenging power's economic and political stability, making it more difficult for it to pursue its goals and interests.

There are several reasons why the United States may choose to employ compound containment. One reason is that military containment alone may not be sufficient to prevent a challenging power from gaining significant influence or expanding its territory. For example, China has been rapidly expanding its economic and military capabilities, making it a major challenge for the United States. Military containment alone may not be enough to prevent China from becoming a dominant power in the region.

Another reason why the United States may choose to employ compound containment is that economic measures can be more targeted and effective than military measures. Economic sanctions, for example, can be used to target specific individuals or companies that are involved in activities that are against U.S. interests. This can be more effective than military strikes, which can have unintended consequences and may not be able to target the specific individuals or companies that are responsible for the challenging power's actions.

Compound containment can also be more flexible than military containment. Economic measures can be adjusted and modified as needed to respond to changing circumstances. For example, if a challenging power takes actions that are against U.S. interests, the United States can quickly implement economic sanctions to punish the challenging power and prevent it from taking further actions.

However, there are also challenges associated with compound containment. One challenge is that economic measures can be difficult to implement and enforce. Economic sanctions, for example, can be subject to political opposition and may not be effective if they are not implemented properly. Additionally, economic measures can have unintended consequences, such as hurting innocent people and creating economic instability.

Another challenge is that economic measures can be difficult to coordinate with other nations. Economic measures can be seen as a unilateral action by the United States, which can create tensions and resentment among other nations. This can make it difficult for the United States to build coalitions and achieve its goals.

Despite these challenges, compound containment is an important strategy for the United States to manage its relations with other nations. By using economic measures to complement military containment, the United States can more effectively prevent a challenging power from gaining significant influence or expanding its territory. Compound containment can also be more targeted and effective than military containment, and can be adjusted and modified as needed to respond to changing circumstances.

In conclusion, compound containment is an important strategy for the United States to manage its relations with other nations. By using economic measures to complement military containment, the United States can more effectively prevent a challenging power from gaining significant influence or expanding its territory. Compound containment can also be more targeted and effective than military containment, and can be adjusted and modified as needed to respond to changing circumstances. However, there are also challenges associated with compound containment, such as difficulty in implementing and enforcing economic measures, difficulty in coordinating with other nations, and potential unintended consequences.

Weight: 356g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472039005