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AN EXTERNAL MILITARY PRESENCE, TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER, AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE *
Author(s) -
Spencer Daniel L.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
kyklos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1467-6435
pISSN - 0023-5962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6435.1965.tb00984.x
Subject(s) - technology transfer , civilization , military technology , technological change , military threat , military science , military theory , economics , development economics , political science , international trade , law , management , macroeconomics
SUMMARY The rapidity of technological change within a country is functionally related to a nation's propensity to borrow technology. Japan, with a celebrated propensity to borrow western technology, has, in the post World War H period, again made impressive gains, based in large part, on borrowed technology. The United States military presence in Japan has been an important transmission belt making possible much of this technological transfer, and consequent structural change. This research points to basic conclusions that the impact of an external military is far from the negative image popularly conceived. A military presence endowed with a higher technical civilization can initiate a fillip to a recipient country's structural evolution. Moreover, military aid, contrary to the often made negative contrast with economic aid, has long‐term dynamic effects in the transfer of higher level technology which can shift production functions significantly over time. Implications of the United States military presence also can obtain for other countries as well, but with varying levels of intensity depending on the country's national propensity to borrow technology, and other strategic factors.