Moreover, the presence of a recession tends to amplify the extent to which international and external conflicts self-reinforce each other. (Blomberg & Hess, 2002. p. 89) Economic decline has also been linked with an increase in the likelihood of terrorism (Blomberg, Hess, & Weerapana, 2004), which has the capacity to spill across borders and lead to external tensions. Furthermore, crises generally reduce the popularity of a sitting government. "Diversionary theory" suggests that, when facing unpopularity arising from economic decline, sitting governments have increased incentives to fabricate external military conflicts to create a 'rally around the flag' effect. Wang (1996), DeRouen (1995). and Blomberg, Hess, and Thacker (2006) find supporting evidence showing that economic decline and use of force are at least indirectly correlated. Gelpi (1997), Miller (1999), and Kisangani and Pickering (2009) suggest that the tendency towards diversionary tactics are greater for democratic states than autocratic states, due to the fact that democratic leaders are generally more susceptible to being removed from office due to lack of domestic support. DeRouen (2000) has provided evidence showing that periods of weak economic performance in the , and thus weak Presidential popularity, are statistically linked to an increase in the use of force. In summary, recent economic scholarship positively correlates economic integration with an increase in the frequency of economic crises, whereas political science scholarship links economic decline with external conflict at systemic, dyadic and national levels.5 This implied connection between integration, crises and armed conflict has not featured prominently in the economic-security debate and deserves more attention.
2NC ENVNT ! Aerospace is key to a cleaner environment AIAA 09 [Aerospace Industries Association of America, “Aerospace and Defense: The Strength to Lift America”, http://www.aia-aerospace.org/assets/wp_strength_aug09.pdf /Ghosh] The aerospace industry it has an obligation to grow responsibly, and it understands that environmentally sustainable growth is not only good for the planet, but also good for the economic health of the industry and the nation as a whole. As Rep. Jerry Costello, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee, wrote, “Airlines, airports, manufacturers and the Air Force are at the forefront of developing better planes, technology and operating procedures to conserve fuel and reduce emissions. They are a perfect example of how innovation is driven by necessity, as fuel costs are the largest single expenditure for the airlines. Moreover, the industry is leading the way in research on alternative fuels. Besides the positive impact on the bottom line, there are obvious positive environmental impacts from these efforts, with lessons for the rest of the country.”12 A 10-year, $20 billion investment in NextGen, in time to meet future demand, will mean millions of new high-paying jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity. Moreover, this growth will come from an industry with a proven track record in improving fuel efficiency and overall environmental stewardship. These are two of the nation’s top priorities: economic growth and recovery, and a cleaner environment. Very few government investments have the potential to positively influence two policy objectives at the same time. This is an investment we cannot afford to postpone.