Military Spending
Military spending is often a controversial issue in American politics. The stance of the GOP is that more money should be spent on military concerns to make sure that the country is well protected and that adequate resources are in place in the case of a war or other necessary military action. In addition, more spending on the military will make sure that the United States continues to hold the title of the world’s strongest military. Military spending is also done as a form of preventive maintenance. Many homeland security projects fall within the domain of military spending and help to ensure that the nation is safe.
The aspect of military spending falls under a larger umbrella idea known as defense policy. This is the basic stance that a nation takes when it comes to dealing with international and national security and involves much more than just the money that is spent on military operations and supplies. The defense policy is largely decided by the president and military advisers in the United States, with a list of strategic goals that help to define the correct steps of a security based decision making process. In many cases, this process will decide whether a military presence will need to be committed in an international security situation.
There are many factors that comprise a functional defense policy. In addition to military spending, the president and advisers must make choices about effective military command, counterintelligence, and defense diplomacy. Where the military spending plays a part in the larger defense policy is in how much money will be spent in the development of new technology, the number of active troops, and the level of combat readiness if action is needed. With a proper defense policy and the right amount of military spending, a country can be ready for military intervention if it is needed without spending unnecessary funds on military concerns.