By: Meredith Gentzel, Tim Andrews, Harrison Smith, Matt

Trasatti

Protect the security of our country and provide the military forces needed to deter war

Defense Spending • Now 1/5 of federal budget• Much less than in the past• Peace Dividend

1990s lessening of East-West tensions gave way to significant reductions in defense spending

Ex.) Military hardware becoming increasingly expensive to purchase and maintain, causing many to lose jobs

• Trend of reduction reversed after 2001 terrorist attacks U.S. spends most on defense than any other country

Military Force• 1.4 million men and women on active duty• 300,000 active-duty troops deployed abroad

Afghanistan, Iraq, Europe, Japan, South Korea• Rely heavily on National Guard and reserve

units to maintain national security

Weapons• Triad of nuclear weapons

Ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Submarine launched ballistic missiles Strategic bombers

• Cost Stealth bomber- over $2 billion Building nuclear weapons- $5.5 trillion

• 1988 INF Treaty Agreement to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear

forces between U.S. and Soviet Union Reached between President Reagan and Soviet

leader Mikhail Gorbachev• 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)

First accord mandating the elimination of strategic nuclear weaponry

Gorbachev and H.W. Bush• 1993 START II

Agreement to cut U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals to total of no more than 6,500 weapons by 2003

Banned large ICBMs with multiple warheads together

• 2002 Treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons to no

more than 2,200 per country by 2012 George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin

• 2010 President Obama and Russian President Dmitry

Medvedev agreed to limit strategic weapons to 1,550 warheads per nation

Changing Role of Power• U.S. becoming dependent on other countries

Defeat terrorism Protect environment Control weapons of mass destruction Regulate trade

• Soft power vs. Hard power Soft- nations ability to persuade others what to do

what it wants without force or coercion Win hearts and win wars

• Military power is important for foreign policy End of Cold War reignited old rivalries resulting in

increased number of regional crisis threatening peace

Nuclear Proliferation• 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Encourage nations to agree that they would not acquire, or at least test, nuclear weapons

• Countries of capacity United States, Britain, Russia, France, China,

India, Pakistan, and North Korea

•Threats North Korea and Iran Over last two decades, U.S. has promised aid and benefits to North Korea in exchange for ending its nuclear weapons program

2006, North Korea tested a nuclear weapon Iran likely to occupy major position on the foreign policy agenda for some time

Currently• Defense makes up 1/5 of the nation budget,

about $400 billion The Plan

• Cut this to about 1/6 of the budget• About $333 billion • A difference of about $67 billion• In about 15 years• Long period of change

Ways to Cut Money• Limit the overall spending towards the

military Includes limiting the amount of new military

equipment produced and purchased• Decrease the amount of troops around the

globe Particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan

• Cut funding on nuclear weapon research, but not wiping it out completely

Extra $67 billion going to two main expenditures• The National Debt of about $15 trillion• The growing expense of Social Security and

Medicare, which is by far the largest expenditures in the national budget

President• Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces• May make treaties with foreign nations• Appoints the head of the Defense

Department• Proposes a budget to Congress

Includes plans for Defense spending• Most of the decisions in the budget are

made by the Office of Management and Budget

The Department of Defense• Formed in 1947 from the consolidation of the

former Departments of War and the Navy• Controls the Military• Carries out military commands from the

President• Under the DoDis the• Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff/Vice

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff • Military Departments • Office of the Secretary of Defense• Unified Combatant Command

Congress• “Power of the purse”

Final say on how much money goes where• Currently about 1/5 of the national budget

goes towards Defense expenditures Including military wages, weapon purchases and

production, weapon technology research, and nuclear weapon production and research

• Both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees help influence decisions in Congress about the National Defense Policy

The Country as a whole• Decreasing national debt and expenditures

U. S. Relations with foreign nations• Removal of troops

Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries• Contributing toward expense from cut in

defense spending

The Military as a whole• Limited amount of equipment and materials

The troops who are out of work• Removal of troops around the globe

Those with jobs in nuclear testing• Decrease in funding for nuclear weapon

research

What is your thought on the size of our army? Too big, small, or fine they way it is?

Do we spend to much on defense? (currently 1/5 of budget?)

Is there a policy you would like to see implemented or taken out?

Do you believe we have done enough to control nuclear weapons?

What are your thoughts about the War in Iraq and on Terrorism?

What about our arsenal of Nucs?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/world/europe/us-official-says-missile-defense-shield-will-move-forward.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=defense&st=cse

Do you think Russia has reason to be outraged over the proposed missile defenses in Europe?

Do you believe Russia is “kicking around a political football” in its threats to the United States?

Do you think Russia will respond? Why or why not?