| ID | 168428 |
| Title Proper | Hatchet or Scalpel?Domestic Politics, International Threats, and US Military Spending Cuts, 1950–2014 |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cappella Zielinski, Rosella ; Schilde, Kaija |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Budgetary cuts are characterized by distinct political, organizational, and psychological dynamics in contrast to increases. Ideally, policymakers rank, prioritize, and assess among likely strategic challenges to identify the appropriate offices, programs, line items, or service branches in which to curtail spending. Targeted cuts—preserving some line items or services while cutting others—occurred during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, and Clinton administrations. In contrast, the Nixon, H.W. Bush, and Obama administrations implemented across-the-board cuts, impacting all areas of the budget uniformly, regardless of strategic priorities. We argue that the ability of the executive to target and redirect spending commensurate with national security needs are constrained by domestic interests. However, the degree to which the threat environment is diverse conditions the number of available policy options and, in turn, executive capacity to implement targeted cuts vis-à-vis parochial interests. |
| `In' analytical Note | Security Studies Vol. 28, No.4; Aug-Sep 2019: p.677-709 |
| Journal Source | Security Studies Vol: 28 No 4 |
| Key Words | Domestic Politics ; International Threats ; 1950–2014 ; Hatchet or Scalpel ; US Military Spending Cuts |