Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran THE ARTS This PDF document was made available CHILD POLICY from www.rand.org as a public service of CIVIL JUSTICE the RAND Corporation. EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Jump down to document6 HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit NATIONAL SECURITY research organization providing POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY objective analysis and effective SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY solutions that address the challenges SUBSTANCE ABUSE facing the public and private sectors TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY around the world. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Support RAND WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND National Defense Research Institute View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran Implications for U.S. Navy Strategic Planning John Gordon IV, Robert W. Button, Karla J. Cunningham, Toy I. Reid, Irv Blickstein, Peter A. Wilson, Andreas Goldthau Prepared for the United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution unlimited NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH INSTITUTE The research described in this report was prepared for the U.S. Navy’s Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Assessment Division (N81). The research was conducted in the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community under Contract W74V8H-06-C-0002. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data How domestic trends in the U.S., China, and Iran could influence U.S. Navy strategic planning / John Gordon IV ... [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8330-4562-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. United States. Navy—Planning. 2. Strategic planning—United States. 3. Social prediction—United States. 4. Economic forecasting—United States. 5. Social prediction—China. 6. Economic forecasting—China. 7. Social prediction—Iran. 8. Economic forecasting—Iran. I. Gordon, John, 1956– VA58.4.H69 2008 359'.030973—dc22 2008044846 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R® is a registered trademark. Cover Photo Credits: AP Images/Greg Baker; AP/Vahid Salemi Cover Design by Carol Earnest © Copyright 2008 RAND Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from RAND. Published 2008 by the RAND Corporation 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 4570 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2665 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451-7002; Fax: (310) 451-6915; Email: [email protected] Preface This book examines the future of the United States, the People’s Repub- lic of China, and Iran. Specifically, it reviews how important domes- tic trends—such as changes in the economy, demographics, and the environment—may influence the priorities of these three nations in the future. This research is the second in a series of strategic studies the RAND Corporation conducted for the U.S. Navy’s Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Assessment Division (N81). The initial research was conducted in the summer and fall of 2006. Entitled “Evolving Strategic Trends, Implications for the U.S. Navy,” that first study was intended for a select Navy audience. It identified likely major global strategic trends in the next decade and how they might influence Navy planning. Although the present book focuses primarily on domes- tic trends, it also explores how events in the so-called near abroad of each nation may influence how the three principal nations view their strategic situation. Based on the insights gained during their research, the authors provide conclusions and recommendations that will be of interest not only to the study’s sponsor, the U.S. Navy, but also to a wider range of policymakers and academics in the United States and elsewhere. This research was sponsored by the U.S. Navy’s Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Assessment Division (N81), and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center (ISDP) of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secre- tary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, iii iv Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community. For more information on RAND’s International Security and Defense Policy Center, contact the Director, James Dobbins. He can be reached by email at [email protected]; by phone at 703-413-1100, extension 5134; or by mail at the RAND Corpora- tion, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, Virginia 22202-5050. More information about RAND is available at www.rand.org. Contents Preface ............................................................................. iii Figures ............................................................................. ix Tables .............................................................................. xi Summary .........................................................................xiii Acknowledgments ............................................................. xxv Abbreviations ..................................................................xxvii CHAPTER ONE Introduction and Objectives .................................................... 1 Introduction ........................................................................ 1 Study Approach .................................................................... 1 Organization of This Monograph ................................................ 4 CHAPTER TWO Strategic Trends in the United States ......................................... 5 Summary ............................................................................ 5 Introduction ........................................................................ 6 U.S. Demographic Trends ........................................................ 6 Gross Domestic Product .......................................................... 9 The Federal Budget ...............................................................10 Federal Revenues ................................................................11 Federal Spending ................................................................11 Social Security ...................................................................12 Medicare and Medicaid ........................................................13 Interest on the National Debt .................................................15 Federal Spending ................................................................15 v vi Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran Discretionary Spending ........................................................16 Nondefense Discretionary Spending .........................................17 Natural Disasters ................................................................17 Energy ............................................................................. 20 Defense Spending ................................................................ 24 Conclusions ....................................................................... 26 CHAPTER THREE The United States’ Near Abroad ..............................................29 The Current Situation ............................................................29 Future Trends and Possibilities in Northern South America ................31 Future Trends and Possibilities in the Caribbean .............................32 An Overview of Future Trends in the Region ................................ 34 The Special Case of Mexico ......................................................35 CHAPTER FOUR Strategic Trends in the People’s Republic of China .......................37 The Current Situation ............................................................37 China’s Energy Future ............................................................39
Recommended publications
  • Romanian Political Science Review Vol. XXI, No. 1 2021
    Romanian Political Science Review vol. XXI, no. 1 2021 The end of the Cold War, and the extinction of communism both as an ideology and a practice of government, not only have made possible an unparalleled experiment in building a democratic order in Central and Eastern Europe, but have opened up a most extraordinary intellectual opportunity: to understand, compare and eventually appraise what had previously been neither understandable nor comparable. Studia Politica. Romanian Political Science Review was established in the realization that the problems and concerns of both new and old democracies are beginning to converge. The journal fosters the work of the first generations of Romanian political scientists permeated by a sense of critical engagement with European and American intellectual and political traditions that inspired and explained the modern notions of democracy, pluralism, political liberty, individual freedom, and civil rights. Believing that ideas do matter, the Editors share a common commitment as intellectuals and scholars to try to shed light on the major political problems facing Romania, a country that has recently undergone unprecedented political and social changes. They think of Studia Politica. Romanian Political Science Review as a challenge and a mandate to be involved in scholarly issues of fundamental importance, related not only to the democratization of Romanian polity and politics, to the “great transformation” that is taking place in Central and Eastern Europe, but also to the make-over of the assumptions and prospects of their discipline. They hope to be joined in by those scholars in other countries who feel that the demise of communism calls for a new political science able to reassess the very foundations of democratic ideals and procedures.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: a Consequence of U.S
    University at Albany, State University of New York Scholars Archive Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies Honors Program Studies Fall 2019 Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: A Consequence of U.S. Economic Sanctions Joel Alexander Lopez University at Albany, State University of New York, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/lacs_honors Part of the Latin American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Lopez, Joel Alexander, "Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: A Consequence of U.S. Economic Sanctions" (2019). Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies Honors Program. 9. https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/lacs_honors/9 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies at Scholars Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies Honors Program by an authorized administrator of Scholars Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: A Consequence of U.S. Economic Sanctions ​ ALC S 495: LACS​ Departmental Honors Project Fall 2019 Joel Alexander Lopez Escobar 1 Introduction Significant trends of outward migration from Venezuela date back to the 1998 election of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. These migratory trends may be attributed to a number of reasons such as political corruption, economic mismanagement and hyper-dependency on oil. Venezuelans have since fled from the political turmoil and extreme economic recession that continues to ravage their country and impoverish their families at an alarming rate. However, it was not until the year 2017 that migration in Venezuela skyrocketed into the state of crisis it is in today.
    [Show full text]
  • LONCHENA-THESIS-2020.Pdf
    FAILED STATES: DEFINING WHAT A FAILED STATES IS AND WHY NOT ALL FAILED STATES AFFECT UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY by Timothy Andrew Lonchena A thesis submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Global Security Studies Baltimore, Maryland May 2020 2020 Timothy Lonchena All rights reserved Abstract: Failed States have been discussed for over the past twenty years since the terrorist attacks of the United States on September 11th, 2001. The American public became even more familiar with the term “failed states” during the Arab Spring movement when several countries in the Middle East and North Africa underwent regime changes. The result of these regime changes was a more violent group of terrorists, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This thesis will address how to define failed states to ensure there is an understood baseline when looking to determine if a state could possibly fail. Further, this thesis will examine the on-going debate addressing the question of those who claim failed states can’t be predicted and determine if analytic modeling can be applied to the identification of failed states. The thesis also examines the need to identify “failed states” before they fail and will also discuss the effects certain failed states have directly on United States national security. Given this, the last portion of this paper and argument to be addressed will determine if there are certain failing states that the United States will not provide assistance to, as it is not in the best interest of our national security and that of our allies.
    [Show full text]
  • 6 the Political Economy of Latin American Development
    6 The Political Economy of Latin American Development One of the most pervasive themes in previous chapters has been the relation between institutions and growth-enhancing policies. In sharp contrast to our opening chapter, which focused on income inequalities and long-term growth trajectories dating back to Latin America's colonial period-when the region was predominantly rural-this chapter is closest in spirit to chapter 3 on state interven­ tion under ISL Specifically, this chapter analyzes the underlying political economy of populist upsurges in predominantly urban areas in which macroeconomic populisf!l has taken hold. The phenomenon is not new. Populism in Latin America dates back to the 1920s.1 More recently, political economy issues that emphasize the ethnical divide between Latin America's Europeans and mestizos and between indigenous and nonindigenous populations have been added to the new wave of populist topics in contemporary Latin America. Populism is difficult to define. In Latin America, however, the meaning of popu­ lism is slightly less difficult to determine. From an economist's standpoint, and paraphrasing Dornbusch and Edwards's groundbreaking work, largely inspired by twentieth-century Latin America, macroeconomic populism is an approach to economics that emphasizes growth and income distribution and deemphasizes the risk of inflation and deficit finance, external constraints, and the reaction of economic agents to aggressive nonmarket policies.2 Contrary to what chapter 4, with its focus on structural reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, may seem to indicate, macroeconomic populism is not just a ghost from the past. Populism in different forms and shapes is a twenty-first-century Latin American reality.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuela: Issues for Congress, 2013-2016
    Venezuela: Issues for Congress, 2013-2016 Mark P. Sullivan Specialist in Latin American Affairs January 23, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43239 Venezuela: Issues for Congress, 2013-2016 Summary Although historically the United States had close relations with Venezuela, a major oil supplier, friction in bilateral relations increased under the leftist, populist government of President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013), who died in 2013 after battling cancer. After Chávez’s death, Venezuela held presidential elections in which acting President Nicolás Maduro narrowly defeated Henrique Capriles of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), with the opposition alleging significant irregularities. In 2014, the Maduro government violently suppressed protests and imprisoned a major opposition figure, Leopoldo López, along with others. In December 2015, the MUD initially won a two-thirds supermajority in National Assembly elections, a major defeat for the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The Maduro government subsequently thwarted the legislature’s power by preventing three MUD representatives from taking office (denying the opposition a supermajority) and using the Supreme Court to block bills approved by the legislature. For much of 2016, opposition efforts were focused on recalling President Maduro through a national referendum, but the government slowed down the referendum process and suspended it indefinitely in October. After an appeal by Pope Francis, the government and most of the opposition (with the exception of Leopoldo López’s Popular Will party) agreed to talks mediated by the Vatican along with the former presidents of the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Panama and the head of the Union of South American Nations.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of Education Funding: Key Concepts and FAQ
    Department of Education Funding: Key Concepts and FAQ Updated February 19, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44477 Department of Education Funding: Key Concepts and FAQ Summary Like most federal agencies, the Department of Education (ED) receives funds in support of its mission through various federal budget and appropriations processes. While not unique, the mechanisms by which ED receives, obligates, and expends funds can be complex. For example, ED receives both mandatory and discretionary appropriations; ED is annually provided forward funds and advance appropriations for some—but not all—discretionary programs; ED awards both formula and competitive grants; and a portion of ED’s budget subsidizes student loan costs (direct loans and loan guarantees). As such, analyzing ED’s budget requires an understanding of a broad range of federal budget and appropriations concepts. This report provides an introduction to these concepts as they are used specifically in the context of the congressional appropriations process for ED. The first section of this report provides an introduction to key terms and concepts in the federal budget and appropriations process for ED. In addition to those mentioned above, the report includes explanations of terms and concepts such as authorizations versus appropriations; budgetary allocations, discretionary spending caps, and sequestration; transfers and reprogramming; and matching requirements. The second section answers frequently asked questions about federal funding for
    [Show full text]
  • Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: in Brief
    Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: In Brief Gene Falk Specialist in Social Policy Karen E. Lynch Specialist in Social Policy Jessica Tollestrup Specialist in Social Policy February 6, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45097 Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: In Brief Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Trends in Spending on Federal Benefits and Services for People with Low Income ...................... 2 Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for Low-Income People by Category ......................... 2 Mandatory and Discretionary Spending .......................................................................................... 4 Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for Low-Income People by Program .......................... 5 Figures Figure 1. Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income, FY2008-FY2016 .......................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income, Health and Non-health, FY2008-FY2016 ................................................................................................ 4 Figure 3. Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income, by Budget Classification, FY2016 ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • On the Status of Rural Tourism and Tourism Economy in Iran
    International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development (IJAMAD) Available online on: www.ijamad.iaurasht.ac.ir ISSN: 2159-5852 (Print) ISSN:2159-5860 (Online) Short communication On the Status of Rural Tourism and Tourism Economy in Iran Farideh Azimi 1* and Samvel Avetisyan 2 Received: 29 October 2015, n this paper the researchers tried to study the status of Accepted: 20 January 2016 Itourism and rural tourism economy in Iran the condition of entry and exit of tourists in Iran, as well as the inhibiting factors affecting their positive impacts on Iran economic status. To achieve this objective, the researchers used documentary research methods. In addition, the researchers used a field research method based on the data obtained from a questionnaire in an attempt to find the inhibiting factors affecting positive impacts of tourism and rural tourism on Iran economics. The population of this study involve in tourism and rural tourism authorities. The sample of the population consist of 119. The statistical methods used in the study include the non-parametric statistics (Kolmogrove Smirnove). Findings revealed that Iran’s percent share of tourism contribution to GDP in the years 2003-2014 was very low and its changes in these years have been disproportionate. No special information and detailed Abstract statistics were presented that have helped clarified the status of rural tourism and rural tourists in Iran. The first five priorities in the field of inhibiting factors affecting positive impacts of tourism on Iran economics were lack of major plans and policies for tourism and rural tourism development, weak co- operation between the government, private sector and local people in planning, managing the tourism and rural tourism projects, frequent change in the authorities of cultural heritage, handicraft and tourism organization, lack of correct criteria for choosing managers and executive directors, and the effects of Keywords: the sanctions on tourism programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028
    CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028 Left to right: © Syda Productions/Anatoliy Lukich/Garry L./Andriy Blokhin/Juanan Barros Moreno/lenetstan/Shutterstock.com DECEMBER 2018 Notes The estimates for the various options shown in this report were completed in November 2018. They may differ from any previous or subsequent cost estimates for legislative proposals that resemble the options presented here. Unless this report indicates otherwise, all years referred to regarding budgetary outlays and revenues are federal fiscal years, which run from October 1 to September 30 and are designated by the calendar year in which they end. The numbers in the text and tables are in nominal (current-year) dollars. Those numbers may not add up to totals because of rounding. In the tables, for changes in outlays, revenues, and the deficit, negative numbers indicate decreases, and positive numbers indicate increases. Thus, negative numbers for spending and positive numbers for revenues reduce the deficit, and positive numbers for spending and negative numbers for revenues increase it. Some of the tables in this report give values for two related concepts: budget authority and outlays. Budget authority is the authority provided by federal law to incur financial obligations that will result in immediate or future outlays of federal government funds. The budget projections used in this report come from various sources. The 10-year spending projections, in relation to which the budgetary effects of spending options are generally calculated, are those in Congressional Budget Office,An Analysis of the President’s 2019 Budget (May 2018, revised August 2018), www.cbo.gov/publication/53884.
    [Show full text]
  • OIL and the IRANIAN ECONOMY THESIS Presented to the Graduate
    AI OIL AND THE IRANIAN ECONOMY THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Farhad Rassekh Denton, Texas August, 1978 ABSTRACT Rassekh, Farhad, Oil and the Iranian Economy. Master of Arts (Economics), August, 1978, 86 pp., 23 tables, bibli- ography, 56 titles. This study is concerned with the relationship between the Iranian Oil Industry and Iranian economy. Oil revenues have been the largest source for financing economic develop- ment plans and for obtaining foreign exchange. In this paper, the history of the Iranian oil industry is summarized, and five previously implemented developmental plans are analyzed. Additionally, the impact of oil on some economic sectors and its contribution to GNP is examined. The strong correlation between oil reserves and the economy may bring a problem in the future when oil reserves run out. Iranian economists believe that the economy must be industrialized in order to reduce the economy's reliance on oil. This paper recommends that all the economic sectors, particularly agriculture, should receive careful consideration, even though the national goal is to industrialize the economy. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES . * , * * * * * * * * a W* a v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .i... , , .,., Vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . , , , . Purpose Method of Procedure Significance of the Problem Source of Data Definition of Terms II. SUMMARY OF OIL HISTORY IN IRAN . 10 Searching for Oil Anglo Persian Oil Company (APOC) The 1933 Concession Oil Nationalization and NIOC The 1954 Agreement and Consortium OPEC Petroleum Act and New Agreement III.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Economy in the Wake of U.S. Sanctions And
    APuZ 21-22/2020 (pp. 34-38) IRAN’S ECONOMY IN THE WAKE OF U.S. SANCTIONS AND CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Wilfried Buchta Already since before the Coronavirus pandemic, which has been ravaging Iran since February of 2020, Tehran’s economy had been in crisis mode. A situation that was worsened by renewed U.S. sanctions in 2018. At the beginning of 2020, all economic indicators for the economy of Iran, a country with approx. 84 million residents, were negative. While the gross domestic product in 2018 already decreased by 5 percent compared to the one in 2017, there was another almost 10 percent decline in 2019. The International Monetary Fund projects another 6.5 percent drop for 2020. In the time period between 2010 and 2020, the inflation rate fluctuated between 20 and 40 percent. Currently it is at 41 percent, exhibiting an upward trend. As a result, the general public’s spending power experienced a significant decrease, which the impoverished 70 percent of the population are suffering under the most. It is estimated that there are currently six million Iranians who are unemployed, which mainly affects women and young people.1 Foundation and Performance of the Iranian Economy Compared to other wealthy Middle Eastern countries, which typically rely on monostructural economic systems solely built on oil production and its export, Iran also has large oil and natural gas resources. In fact, Iran is in fourth place when it comes to oil reserves and second for gas. But the difference is, Iran also has a large pool of skilled workers to pull from.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran, Sanctions, and Nuclear Proliferation: in Search of a Strategic Alternative
    University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Master's Theses and Capstones Student Scholarship Fall 2013 Iran, Sanctions, and Nuclear Proliferation: In Search of a Strategic Alternative Michael J. Cole University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis Recommended Citation Cole, Michael J., "Iran, Sanctions, and Nuclear Proliferation: In Search of a Strategic Alternative" (2013). Master's Theses and Capstones. 174. https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/174 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Capstones by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Iran, Sanctions, and Nuclear Proliferation: In Search of a Strategic Alternative BY Michael J. Cole Baccalaureate Degree (BA), University of New Hampshire, 2010 THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Of Master of Arts in Political Science September, 2013 UMI Number: 1524446 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Di!ss0?t&iori Piiblist’Mlg UMI 1524446 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author.
    [Show full text]