This Year's Defense Budget: How Much Should We Spend? What Should We Buy?

Now that the Cold War has ended, the United States faces a variety of threats to our national security.  Congress has debated how best to defend ourselves and our allies against terrorists who use chemical or biological weapons, foreign governments who launch a missile attack, and other antagonists in the Middle East and Southeast Europe.  Congress also expressed concern over the readiness of our military equipment and personnel, the sufficiency of retirement benefits, and the equity of pay scales. But spending to meet all of our defense needs is limited by the nation's overall economic policy of a balanced budget.  In this seminar, you'll simulate the debate that will occur in the next Congress over questions of affordability and priorities in defense spending.

Questions to Consider:

• What are the most important military threats to the United States and our allies?
• Which threats deserve immediate attention?
• Which threats are the most expensive to solve?
• Which threats can be solved technologically and how soon can that happen?