The three actions to analyze information are: comparison (e.g., examining the trend changes between different datasets), contrast (e.g., identifying performance differences within the same timeframe), and connection (e.g., linking data points to uncover potential patterns).
Comparison
Strategic and political intelligence analysis rest heavily on comparison. With the ability to compare data with extreme precision, analysts are able to uncover trends and predict upcoming events, therefore resulting in better decision-making.
There is a way to understand what different countries are looking at strategically, which is by quantifying data and assessing military expenditures. In 2023, for instance, the US military budget amounted to $750 billion or 3.7% of its GDP and China’s was around $250 billion (1.9%).From a professional standpoint, the emergence of political dynamics is dissected by properties like balance of power and geopolitics to evaluate international relationships which are fashioned. By looking back at history like the U.S. vs USSR Cold War stand-off, the current U.S.-China competitive posture is better understood.
In view of this, it is especially interesting to observe the effect that particular mega-events have had on national security strategies. European countries were largely on the same page about how to ratchet up economic sanctions against Russia after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and subsequent war in eastern Ukraine, for example – directly acknowledging (albeit indirectly) each country’s understanding where security threats come from.
If one may quote an American President (Richard Nixon): “Those who adhere to history will be poor, but those who learn from it are bound to grow rich.” This is the lesson from information analysis, that we need thoroughly to make use of historical experience but at the same time have a future-oriented innovative thinking.The stakes of getting the answer to complex international situations or policy issues do referencement are higher, with reference answers being more important. Likewise, when analyzing conflicts in the Middle East some of which are framed as territorial disputes, it can be useful to map control areas more clearly and identify specific historical grievances so that decision-makers will understand better what drives change.
Contrast
The contrast may show either small differences or significant relationships from the two sets of data. For instance, data from the economic growth of China and India can be taken – for 2023: GDP growth rate in China was equal to 5.1%, while one in lagging behind country amounted to 7.
Language industry professionals have their own jargons of “economic stimulus measures”, “monetary policy” that can delve deeper and account for the reason in a more precise manner about how India managed to grow at even higher rates over the last year. Among them, the Indian government has taken a variety of steps to boost domestic demand and bolster public sector spending.
One way to illustrate the linkage of policy mix and economic structure is by comparing countries in use different recession recovery strategies before and after the 2008 global financial crisis. In the U.S., for instance, recovery was engineered with quantitative easing of markets, while in China it came through enormous infrastructure investments. As Adam Smith, the father of capitalism and The Wealth of Nations once put it: “The real growth of the economy comes from the improvement of efficiency.”
Identifying and making connections is the way we start understanding intricate relationship networks on a global scale.The data alone in measuring the economic dependencies of countries across an international scale is important. Trade volume of China-U.S. collusion reached $560 billion in 2019, for instance.These corporate terms can help the analyst or practicing historian articulate these complex interplays between countries; in short, they supply terminology. For example, we can see the detailed impact of economic sanctions on Russia as a result of the Ukraine crisis.
Syrian civil war has exhibited this in comprehensive detail as to how various world powers jostled for influence by sponsoring different factions.The Art of Foreign Policy Former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger is reputed to have said, “the art of foreign policy consists in bringing a country’s actual power into line with its realized objectives.” For instance, in studying the way that China increases its economic links with Asian and European nations through “Belt and Road,” it is necessary to spell out what exactly are the purposes of this strategy and how does it work.
Connection
In intelligence analysis, connection is crucial. Connection is not just a simple exchange of information, but a deep interaction and integration between data and intelligence. Through effective connection, fragmented information can be transformed into valuable intelligence, which in turn can lead to strategic decisions.
First, the core of connection lies in the interaction and integration of data. When analyzing strategic and political intelligence, data sources are usually very extensive, including but not limited to government reports, news reports, social media, academic papers, etc. Through connection, these can be integrated to form a complete intelligence picture. For example, in a political intelligence analysis, we might combine economic data, political dynamics, and changes in international relations from different countries. By connecting these data points, we can analyze the future development trends of a country. According to data from “Global Political and Strategic Analysis,” 80% of successful intelligence analyses rely on the integration and interaction of multi-source data.
Second, the application of connection in intelligence analysis ensures the reliability and accuracy of intelligence by cross-verifying information from different sources. For example, when analyzing the political stability of an emerging market, one can compare official data with independent survey reports, news reports, and information on social media to identify consistencies and discrepancies. According to data from “Intelligence Analysis and Strategic Research,” the accuracy of intelligence is improved by 35% through multi-source verification and connection analysis.
Lastly, connection also includes communication and cooperation between people. In the process of intelligence analysis, regular meetings, discussions, and information sharing among team members enable them to better understand each other’s analytical ideas and methods, thereby improving the overall analysis level. For example, in a multinational intelligence analysis project, analysts from various countries can quickly respond to global political dynamics through regular remote meetings and data sharing. According to “Research on Transnational Intelligence Cooperation,” team analysis efficiency is increased by 50% through connection and collaboration.