Sea Power

Mark Koyama, Ahmed Rahman and Tuan-Hwee Sng

Journal of Historical Political Economy, 2021, vol. 1, issue 2, 155-182

Abstract: How does sea power differ from land power? We introduce a formal model that explains several characteristics of sea power. Specifically, (i) sea power is more highly concentrated than land power; (ii) it follows cycles; and (iii) is characterized by periodic intensification of arms competition. We account for these features in terms of the high fixed costs and the capital-intensive nature of naval warfare. We find empirical support for our model using a newly digitized dataset of over two dozen navies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Keywords: Sea power; conflict; formal theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:now:jnlhpe:115.00000006

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