Implications of military stabilization efforts on economic development and security: The case of Iraq

The United States used a combination of economic, political, and military means to effect change in Iraq. Most notably, the United States used a buildup of security forces, the “surge”, as an intervention to stabilize Iraq. This article uses structural change tests to determine the effect of the intervention on security and economic metrics of success. There appears to be compelling evidence that several events may have had a direct influence on security variables with the surge being one of the events. There is little to suggest that the surge was the primary intervention that enhanced economic development and political order.