Policy - Foreign Policy

Question 1

List what we spend our budget on

Answer 1

1. Personnel (high pay to attract ppl since it’s all-volunteer force)
2. Big-ticket items (huge hardware; weapons, aircraft, etc)
3. “Readiness” (training) - NOT prioritized b/c benefits are long term + want to cut budget = cutting back on readiness doesn’t hurt us (initially)
4. Bases (a bunch of bases all around nation and foreign area)

Question 2

Describe how the Base Realignment and Closure Commision impacted the budget

There are bases in most Congressional districts = client politics (<3 keeping base in ur district)

Answer 2

Decreased number of bases = improved budget
* 8 private citizens make a list of bases to remove, Congress consents w/no amendments allowed in 45 days
- Congress has said yes to every recomendation

So it bipassed client politics (minority getting what they want even though it’s not good for majority)

Question 3

Describe how the National Security Act (1947) changed the structure of defense decision making

Answer 3

• Made Department of Defense
• Department includes the Joint Chiefs of Staff

It made a department in charge of the military, so helped organize leadership and decision making = quicker!!

Question 4

Describe the role of the Join Chiefs of Staff

Answer 4

• Represent the 4 services (army, navy, marines, and air force) in decisions
• make defense PLANS (in the National Security Coucil!)
• has Join Staff to help it (they draft the plans)

Question 5

Describe the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986)

Answer 5

Improved Defense Department
- made JS more autonomous and less loyal to specific service
- Put the JCS Chairman as in charge of the JS = JS loyal to them instead of service their from)
- Told Secretary of Defense to promote officers in JS at the same rate as those not in it = free to be disloyal to service (don’t have to be loyal in order to get promotion)
- Made Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman the advisor of the Prez = more power