International Military Experience, Human Capital, and Domestic Political Success

• In Event: The Diverse Foundations of American Global Power

Abstract

States employ foreign military training to advance their interests, shaping recipient preferences, bolstering allies, and expanding their global power. However, military training is not the only international source of human capital. Research from multiple disciplines associates international education, training, and experience with important changes in human capital and behavior, both domestically and internationally. This paper contributes to our understanding of the human capital-influence relationship in two key ways. First, it shows that for the supplier state to acquire influence, its recipients must acquire political power. Second, it takes a comparative approach, employing conjoint experiments across multiple countries to examine the impact of different forms and sources of international human capital on the attractiveness of political appointees, with a focus on military human capital. We experimentally vary the source of human capital, particularly comparing the United States with China and Russia, and the types of human capital—military training, civilian higher education, and international employment. This research sheds light on political processes associated with political development, civilian control over the military, and how major powers compete for influence in other states. It also explores whether military training is uniquely influential or merely one of several routes to international development and influence.

Authors

• Jonathan D. Caverley, Naval War College

• Jesse Dillon-Savage, Trinity College Dublin

• Renanah M. Joyce, Georgetown University