Economic Strategy And National Security: A Next Generation Approach

The years 1998 and 1999 were filled with economic events that illustrated the changing and complex agenda for American foreign policy inentering the new millennium. In this volume, former senior members of the Clinton and Bush Administrations and a "next generation" ofprivate sector voices set forth and analyze the new intersections between economic strategy and national security.

Emerging markets areconsidered, as well as new threats and new opportunities that are changing our conception of American security.This book arises from a three-year project by the Council on Foreign Relations, one of the world's premier foreign policy think tanks, toarticulate a "Next Generation" approach to American foreign policy.

The volume is intended for those interested in foreign policy and as asupplement to university level courses on international relations and business.The financial, trade, technology, and regional and sectoral topics covered by this book are especially timely. World financial markets haveshowed themselves to be increasingly integrated and volatile with the introduction of new information technologies.

Global markets for goodshave showed themselves to be more fragmented and more difficult to free because of populist concerns over labor and environmentalprotections. Meanwhile, electronic commerce will change international economic relations. Regionally,Asia and Russia-our post-Cold Warfocus-are economically in turmoil.

Latin America, our fastest growing market and prospective twenty-first century focus, is teetering due tothe lack of foreign reserves.In addition to these changing dynamics, new economic threats such as corruption and information terrorism counter balance newopportunities to influence the world through American know-how in technology and venture capital.As evidenced most clearly by the October 1998 vote on Fast Track trade authority for the president, domestic audiences seem to be fueled more by negative messages brought by "economic nationalists" than by those who seek a more "internationalist" approach.

Thiscommunications reality is dangerous and requires attention by the new generation of American leaders who have begun their run for thepresidency by the time this book reaches the shelves.This book begins to outline new concepts-political, economic, and philosophical-for American foreign policy in the twenty-first century.

Inaddition, it seeks to drive home the need for the American people to better understand our likely engagement in the new world upon which weare embarking.