American Defense Policy

by Miriam Krieger (Editor), Lynne Chandler Garcia (Editor), John Riley (Editor), Will Atkins (Editor)

Overview

A vital text for understanding the twenty-first-century battlefield and the shifting force structure, this book prepares students to think critically about the rapidly changing world they'll inherit.

American Defense Policy, first published in 1965 under the leadership of Brent Scowcroft, has been a mainstay in courses on political science, international relations, military affairs, and American national security for more than 50 years. This updated and thoroughly revised ninth edition, which contains about 30% all-new content, considers questions of continuity and change in America's defense policy in the face of a global climate beset by geopolitical tensions, rapid technological change, and terrorist violence.

The book is organized into three parts. Part I examines the theories and strategies that shape America's approach to security policy. Part II dives inside the defense policy process, exploring the evolution of contemporary civil-military relations, the changing character of the profession of arms, and the issues and debates in the budgeting, organizing, and equipping process. Part III examines how purpose and process translate into American defense policy.

This invaluable and prudent text remains a classic introduction to the vital security issues the United States has faced throughout its history. It breaks new ground as a thoughtful and comprehensive starting point to understand American defense policy and its role in the world today.

Contributors: Gordon Adams, John R. Allen, Will Atkins, Deborah D. Avant, Michael Barnett, Sally Baron, Jeff J.S. Black, Jessica Blankshain, Hal Brands, Ben Buchanan, Dale C. Copeland, Everett Carl Dolman, Jeffrey Donnithorne, Daniel W. Drezner, Colin Dueck, Eric Edelman, Martha Finnemore, Lawrence Freedman, Francis Fukuyama, Michael D. Gambone, Lynne Chandler Garcia, Bishop Garrison, Erik Gartzke, Mauro Gilli, Robert Gilpin, T.X. Hammes, Michael C. Horowitz, G. John Ikenberry, Bruce D. Jones, Tim Kane, Cheryl A. Kearney, David Kilcullen, Michael P. Kreuzer, Miriam Krieger, Seth Lazar, Keir A. Lieber, Conway Lin, Jon R. Lindsay, Austin Long, Joseph S. Lupa Jr., Megan H. MacKenzie, Mike J. Mazarr, Senator John McCain, Daniel H. McCauley, Michael E. McInerney, Christopher D. Miller, James N. Miller, John A. Nagl, Henry R. Nau, Renée de Nevers, Joseph S. Nye Jr., Michael E. O'Hanlon, Mancur Olson Jr., Sue Payton, Daryl G. Press, Thomas Rid, John Riley, David Sacko, Brandon D. Smith, James M. Smith, Don M. Snider, Sir Hew Strachan, Michael Wesley, Richard Zeckhauser

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421441474
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Edition description:	ninth edition
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.52(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Miriam Krieger is a faculty member from the Department of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy.

Lynne M. Chandler Garcia is a faculty member from the Department of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy.

John H. Riley is a faculty member from the Department of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy.

Will Atkins is a faculty member from the Department of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Part I. Values and Interests for American Defense Policy
Introduction
Chapter 1. Theories and Values
Chapter 2. American Grand Strategy
Chapter 3. The International Environment - Allies
Chapter 4. The International Environment - Adversaries
Part II. Evolution and Revolution in Defense Policy, Process, and Institutions
Introduction
Chapter 5. Evolution and Revolution in Civil-Military Relations
Chapter 6. The Changing Profession of Arms
Chapter 7. Resource Allocation and Force Structure for a Complex World
Part III. Contemporary Issues in American Defense Policy
Introduction
Chapter 8. Homeland Defense: Threats from All Sides
Chapter 9. Unconventional Wars and Unconventional Forces
Chapter 10. The Near Possible
Epilogue
Afterword
About the Contributors
Index

What People are Saying About This

Sarah E. Kreps

Extremely well organized. I'm impressed at the authors and content included in the book; it feels like a Who's Who of the discipline. Combining accessible articles from a range of authors and topics, this would be a welcome resource for any level of teaching.

From the Publisher

Extremely well organized. I'm impressed at the authors and content included in the book; it feels like a Who's Who of the discipline. Combining accessible articles from a range of authors and topics, this would be a welcome resource for any level of teaching.
—Sarah E. Kreps, Cornell University, author of Coalitions of Convenience: United States Military Interventions after the Cold War

A useful text in American foreign policy classes. The book is organized logically and effectively. The authors are all experts in the field. I will definitely adopt this as one of the main texts for my course.
—Stephen B. Long, University of Richmond

Stephen B. Long

A useful text in American foreign policy classes. The book is organized logically and effectively. The authors are all experts in the field. I will definitely adopt this as one of the main texts for my course.

Editorial Reviews

Perhaps the best book of its kind in the field.
—Foreign Affairs

A worthwhile addition to the library of anyone interested in American defense policy.
—Military Review

This book is an attempt to assemble in one volume a representative selection of the recent extensive American writings on defense matters; it succeeds brilliantly and, in a field in which the student and the policy-maker can equally become bogged down in the sheer volume of words, its editors have done a commendable service by concise compilation.
—International Affairs

This book will help students better grasp and understand the complex processes involved in making American defense policy. It will help them draw important lessons from our experiences during the Cold War while also providing them with a glimpse of many of the more important security challenges to come.
—Brent Scowcroft

From the Publisher

Perhaps the best book of its kind in the field.

Foreign Affairs

A worthwhile addition to the library of anyone interested in American defense policy.

Military Review

This book will help students better grasp and understand the complex processes involved in making American defense policy. It will help them draw important lessons from our experiences during the Cold War while also providing them with a glimpse of many of the more important security challenges to come.

Brent Scowcroft

This book is an attempt to assemble in one volume a representative selection of the recent extensive American writings on defense matters; it succeeds brilliantly and, in a field in which the student and the policy-maker can equally become bogged down in the sheer volume of words, its editors have done a commendable service by concise compilation.

International Affairs