The primary goal of a nation-state is the protection of it’s citizens from outside threats, but the vast difference in available resources and economic output of the 197 nation states currently members of the UN results in differing approaches to fulfilling this obligation. For the purposes of this paper the difference will be broken down into two categories, with some overlap- material, and manpower. A nation that focuses on material is a nation that invests large sums and industrial capacity towards maintaining a technologically advanced armed forces. A nation that focuses on manpower invests in pure numbers and focuses as much as possible in active enrolment, even to the point of conscription in a few cases. The question is what pushes a nation to choose which way to lean, and indeed if it a question that is answered, or just an operating principle central to the nation. The question is whether a country makes the decision as to pursue manpower or material investment on it’s own, or if the situation that the state finds itself in defines the response. If it is a question of willingness, then what situational factors determine the choice between material or manpower oriented investment? Twenty states from varying positions will be considered. It is important to note that this is not a consideration of total military strength, since some nations would inherently stand far out from the others. This is a consideration of relative investment into two differing ways of providing for military defence. The difference is, in essence, what drives a country to pursue building tanks, instead of recruiting men.

Why does North Korea have more per-capita active manpower than the USA?[i]

The independent variables that are considered to effect this are the GDP of the country, as a baseline idea of ‘wealth’ must logically factor into the decision. Industrial capacity, defined in several ways by different sources and then averaged to give a clue as to relative standing is another, since it can be fairly thought that a state with little industrial backbone cannot support a mechanized military. The total population is considered, as a low population would probably server to dissuade a country from pursuing manpower investment. The geographical location is considered, and the mini coefficient is considered as a way to determine if a high level of inequality may force the question to be answered with one solution or the other. The polity 5 index is also considered, to analyze if state structure plays into the decision.