This War by Other Ledgers book grew out of several years of work initiated under the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Global Competition Project (GCP). The GCP seeks to identify, elevate, and address strategic issues vital to the United States’ competitive posture through research and engagement across government, the private sector, and with allies and partners.

Now more than ever, economic security is inseparable from national security, and economic statecraft is the means by which nations pursue strategic interests on both fronts. An 11-part article series with War on the Rocks was inspired by the need to provide a better understanding of the various facets of contemporary economic statecraft so public and private sector leaders can better navigate the geostrategic environment, address risks, and leverage opportunities through policy and practice that support enduring U.S. economic security.

By no means a new instrument of national power, economic statecraft today must reconcile with a global environment that is hyperconnected virtually and physically. The technology-enabled flow and ubiquitous access to information has created era-unique interdependencies, including global supply chains and markets, unprecedented in human history — a source of risks and opportunities.

Progress is underway across the public and private sectors to mitigate those risks and capitalize on the opportunities. New policies, practical concepts, and institutional initiatives have emerged as recognition grows that economic statecraft is a vital strategic and operational discipline. But much of that work remains disparate, disconnected from each other and from a guiding vision orchestrated toward defined strategic ends. No common definition of economic statecraft guides the federal government, authorities are scattered across departments, and the workforce trained to use them is still emerging. The private sector is equally grappling with how best to navigate the new terrain.

When War on the Rocks invited the Institute to produce a series of papers on contemporary economic statecraft, these developments and opportunities became the series’ backbone. The project brought together practitioners and scholars from government, the military, industry, academia, and partner nations to help clarify the field and contribute practical ideas for its continued development.

This book’s chapters expanded on the 11-part collaborative article series, exploring how the United States might evolve various aspects of contemporary economic statecraft into strategy and practice. It is neither exhaustive nor complete, but rather a work in progress and an initial attempt at understanding the state of play and where we need to go. Each chapter includes a brief abstract, while selected chapters include an epilogue and QR code linking to a corresponding webinar online.

Taken together, the chapters describe a discipline still taking shape. Our hope is that they also mark a starting point for the doctrine, organization, and professional pipeline economic statecraft requires to deliver security and prosperity for the nation.