Welcome

Expeditionary economics is an emerging area of economic inquiry focused on rebuilding economies in post-conflict nations, including Iraq and Afghanistan. The concept was first introduced by Carl Schramm, the Kauffman Foundation's president and CEO, in an essay in the May/June 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs.

The thesis that undergirds expeditionary economics is that the most effective way to quickly establish a trajectory toward economic growth in areas in conflict is to focus on forming firms that can experience rapid growth in revenue and employment. Given the U.S. military's burden of leaving countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan in a stable economic state, it is critical that a strategy is developed for achieving post-conflict growth. A central issue surrounding expeditionary economics is whether the military and civilian agencies can invent the requisite expertise itself to do this, rather than outsourcing the task to private-sector contractors or other parts of the U.S. government.

This site provides background materials about expeditionary economics, including papers and videos stemming from the first conference ever held on the topic, "Entrepreneurship and Expeditionary Economics," which was held at the Kauffman Foundation May 25-27, 2010 in partnership with the Command and General Staff College Foundation at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Recent Highlights

Ideas in Action Episode Features Discussion on Expeditionary Economics
Kauffman Foundation President and CEO Carl Schramm joined Colonel Mike Meese, Head of the Department of Social Sciences, West Point Military Academy; Ann Marlowe Blogger, WorldAffairsDaily.Org, and a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute; and, host Jim Glassman in a discussion of the U.S. military's role in re-building economies.

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USA Today Opinion Piece Focuses on Haiti
Editorial writer Jonah Goldberg looks at expeditionary economics as a possible solution to Haiti's economic woes, saying "The West, including America, is expert at pouring aid into poor countries; it's less adept at teaching poor countries how to stop being poor."

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Wall Street Journal Piece Says Afghanistan's Riches are in the People
In this June 17 Wall Street Journal article, Carl Schramm, Robert Litan and Dane Stangler make the case that Afghanistan's greatest hope for economic recovery is entrepreneurship, not minerals.

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Foreign Affairs Essay Introduces Expeditionary Economics
In an article in the May/June 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs, Kauffman Foundation President and CEO Carl Schramm builds on extensive Kauffman research to introduce the challenge of igniting and sustaining economic growth during and especially after major conflicts.

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Kauffman CEO Discusses Expeditionary Economics on Charlie Rose
Carl Schramm appeared on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS to discuss how entrepreneurship might be key to reconstruction efforts following foreign conflicts and natural disasters.

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Summit on Entrepreneurship and Expeditionary Economics
From May 25 through May 27, 2010, the Kauffman Foundation and the Command and General Staff College Foundation at Ft. Leavenworth convened in Kansas City an extraordinary and unprecedented Summit on Entrepreneurship and Expeditionary Economics.

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Fast Company: How America's Top Military Officer Uses Business to Boost National Security
This article, the cover story of the May, 2010 issue of Fast Company, notes Admiral Mike Mullen's meeting with the Kauffman Foundation to discuss expeditionary economics.

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