Neuchterlein, in National Interests and Presidential Leadership: The Setting of Priorities (1978: 11 18), develops what he calls the "national interest matrix," in which these levels of intensity in interest are placed on the horizontal axis, and mapped against four basic types or dimensions of interest national defense, economic well being, favorable world order, and promotion of values which are placed on the vertical axis. The resulting matrix is as follows:
National Interest Matrix
Nature of Interest Intensity of Interest
Core/survival Vital Major Peripheral
In this matrix, a natural equilibrium axis runs from the upper left to the lower right: defense of the homeland is invariably a core or survival interest, while promotion of values in and of themselves (where more immediate concerns are not also involved) is normally likely to be only a peripheral interest.
For any crisis situation, such a matrix can be drawn up for each participant though the matrix will inevitably be subjective, dependent upon the level of intensity with which each nation's leadership perceives its national interests to be involved. Both the concept of this grid and its limitations can be illustrated by a brief consideration of the American experience in Vietnam. For the United States, in the "struggle against world communism," promotion of values was directly at stake, while a favorable world order was indirectly at stake how indirectly depending on how strongly the "domino effect" was to be feared. Defense of the U.S. homeland was certainly not directly at stake; nor in any very serious way was American economic well being.
For the Vietnamese Communist leadership, promotion of values and a favorable world order were also directly at stake. There is little evidence that economic well being was at stake: they won, but Communist Vietnam remains poor....