military industrial complex essay Flashcards
military industrial complex
- tight association and job movement among the military, defense industries, and the federal government
- President Dwight Eisenhower saw the MIC as a threat to democracy
several components
uniformed military, aerospace-defense industry, civilian national security managers
civilian national security managers
The military defense industry often circulate personnel
aerospace-defense industry
25,000 to 30,000 primary contractors working between the civilian and military population. 50,000 subcontractors. There is a distinct relationship between the Pentagon and the ADI. The contractors do not require competition for military contracts, because most of the people are ex-military and are given the contracts because of who they know and who they were.
uniformed military
Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. They compete for new responsibilities and resources. They brief Congress and request funds for budgets.
possible conflicts of interest
- executives from ADI often move into important positions in the Department of Defense
- Military officers often retire and move into the civilian position in the industry.
- There is a chance that some decisions for the country are being made due to the fact that there is a profit that can be made
Operation Ill Wind
3 year investigation of the FBI that defense contractors bribed top DOD civilian staff members to steer prime defense contracts their way.
National Security Managers
70 of 91 individuals who held key posts between 1940-1967 were from big business or high finance, yet business interests are not always the sole consideration in the process of formulating policy.
Militarized Congress
Lone authority with power to appropriate funds for US military.
Post Cold War
Collapse of the Soviet Union and military cuts in the US
