Wolf C
Science. 1985 Nov 29;230(4729):997-1002. doi: 10.1126/science.230.4729.997.
A comprehensive framework is developed and applied to estimate the economic costs incurred by the Soviet Union in acquiring, maintaining, and expanding its empire. The terms "empire" and "costs" are explicitly defined. Between 1971 and 1980, the average ratio between empire costs and Soviet gross national product was about 3.5 percent; as a ratio to Soviet military spending, empire costs averaged about 28 percent. The burden imposed on Soviet economic growth by empire costs is also considered, as well as rates of change in these costs, and the important political, military, and strategic benefits associated by the Soviet leadership with maintenance and expansion of the empire. Prospective empire costs and changes in Soviet economic constraints resulting from the declining performance of the domestic economy are also considered.
一个综合框架得以制定并应用于估算苏联在获取、维持和扩张其帝国过程中所产生的经济成本。“帝国”和“成本”这两个术语被明确界定。在1971年至1980年期间，帝国成本与苏联国民生产总值之间的平均比率约为3.5%；作为与苏联军事开支的比率，帝国成本平均约为28%。还考虑了帝国成本给苏联经济增长带来的负担，以及这些成本的变化率，以及苏联领导层认为与维持和扩张帝国相关的重要政治、军事和战略利益。同时也考虑了预期的帝国成本以及国内经济表现下降所导致的苏联经济限制的变化。
