Toward an International Relations Theory of National Innovation Rates

Abstract

The ability of nations to innovate technologically plays an important causal role in both security studies and international political economy. Explanations for national differences in technological capabilities, however, have had little place in international relations theory. This gap is partly the result of assumptions made by scholars that the rate and direction of technological change are determined by a state's domestic institutions and policies. This article will bring together recent findings about the political economy of technological innovation in order to show that much of this conventional wisdom is incorrect. Instead, it will be shown that, due to the distributive nature of technological change, different combinations of domestic tensions and external security concerns motivate elites to pursue or eschew a technologically competitive economy. Institutions are not causal, they are merely instrumental. Recent findings in the economic development literature therefore have important implications for security studies.Why are some countries more technologically innovative than others? This article will combine a review essay with theory development to offer a novel, security-based explanation for national differences in innovation rates. The primary independent variable is the balance of domestic tensions vs. external , and the editors and anonymous reviewers at Security Studies. 113 114 M. Z. Taylor

Innovation and Alliances

“…The term “national innovation rate” refers to a country's indigenously produced technological change over a given period of time. It is a measure of output or performance (Taylor, ).…”

“…These are not the types of innovation we wish to capture here. Rather, we are specifically interested in technological innovation because it brings with it the increasing returns upon which endogenous growth, military and industrial competitiveness, and considerable national wealth are based (Taylor, ).…”

“…Technology is defined as a physical product or a process for physically altering materials that is used as an aid in problem solving. More precisely, technology is a product or process that allows social actors to perform entirely new activities or to perform established activities with increased efficiency (Taylor, 2012). Note that since technology is defined as a product or process, innovation can refer to advances in either.…”

“…The term "national innovation rate" refers to a country's indigenously produced technological change over a given period of time. It is a measure of output or performance (Taylor, 2012). Cheung (2014) defines three dimensions of military innovation: doctrine, organization, and technology.…”

Powerhouses or pretenders? Debating China's and India's emergence as technological powers

“…These include differences in the national innovation systems of both countries, or possibly the extent to which governance is centralized in each country (Drezner 2001). Scholars have also argued that the key question is a political commitment to addressing market failures and creating international linkages (Breznitz 2007) or, more recently, national threat perceptions (Taylor 2012). In short, there are a range of potential explanations for differences in innovation performance between China and India that could be explored.…”