Defense Policy in the Reagan Administration
Published on 3. May 2021
301 pages
978-1-83974-755-7 (ISBN)
Description
By substantially increasing defense budgets, the Reagan Admin. (RA) did more than merely underwrite improvements in military forces, it undertook initiatives that changed both the image and reality of America's national defense. This book examines: the Strategic Defense Initiative, the 600 ship Navy, and the hefty increase in the Defense budget. Critics and supporters of the RA do agree on one point: the RA came into office with the intent of strengthening defense policy. How well the RA succeeded in that effort and the cost of that success are debated here.
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Content
- Intro
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- FOREWORD
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- Part I-REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES
- THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND ARMS CONTROL: REDEFINING THE AGENDA
- Strategy and Arms Control in the Nuclear Age
- The Legacy of SALT
- The Alliance Dimension
- Changing the Parameters of Arms Control: 1981-1983
- The Geneva Arms Control Agenda
- Arms and Arms Control-Whither Strategy?
- THE UNITED STATES AND ASIA: THE SUCCESS OF CONTINUITY?
- US Defense Policies in Asia
- Building a Coalition Strategy
- US Asian Defense Policy: The Political Context
- The Reagan Defense Policy in Asia: An Assessment
- AMERICAN-SOVIET RELATIONS: THE RHETORIC AND REALISM
- From Rhetoric to Realism?
- Reagan's Response to Gorbachev
- Issues in American-Soviet Relations
- Prospects for American-Soviet Relations
- TERRORISM: POLITICAL CHALLENGE AND MILITARY RESPONSE
- The Problem
- The Threat
- Military Methods and Tactics
- The Engagement: An Analytical Overview
- Conclusion
- THE BURDEN OF GLOBAL DEFENSE: SECURITY ASSISTANCE POLICIES OF THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION
- Reagan Policies
- Budget Flows and Regional Priorities
- Policy Questions
- Reagan's Reasons for Granting Security Assistance
- Part II-DEFENSE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
- DEFENSE BUDGETS AND SPENDING CONTROL: THE REAGAN ERA AND BEYOND
- Defense and the Budget: Long-Term Trends
- The Reagan Defense Program
- The Congressional Response
- Gramm-Rudman-Hollings and Other Alternatives
- Protecting the Baseline
- Budget Policy Options
- MANPOWER AND PERSONNEL POLICY IN THE REAGAN YEARS
- Selective Service Registration in the Reagan Years
- Women in the Military
- Race in the Military
- The GI Bill
- The Military Retirement System
- DEFENSE POLICY AND PROGRAMS IN THE GRAMM-RUDMAN ERA
- Acting Upon the Four Principles: The Policy-Program Linkage
- Part III-US FORCES AND WEAPONS
- THE DECISIVE ROLE OF LANDPOWER IN US NATIONAL SECURITY
- Strategic Environment
- The Changing Nature of Military Strategy
- Landpower Force Programs
- Army Future Directions
- THE US NAVY UNDER THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND GLOBAL FORWARD STRATEGY
- The Maritime Strategy
- Naval Force Structure
- Future Navy Directions
- The Post-Reagan Navy
- THE US AIR FORCE: FORCE STRUCTURE, CHANGES, AND IMPLICATIONS
- A Conceptual Framework
- The Strategic Defense Initiative
- The Midgetman
- The Advanced Tactical Fighter
- The Special Operations Forces
- Judgments and Implications
- POPULATION DEFENSE THROUGH SDI: AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
- Population Defense Examined
- Part IV-ACQUISITION AND READINESS
- BUILDING REFORM IN WEAPONS ACQUISITION
- The Acquisition Process
- Needed Changes
- DID READINESS GET ITS FAIR SHARE OF THE DEFENSE BUILD-UP IN THE FIRST REAGAN ADMINISTRATION?
- The Meaning of Readiness
- The Real Issue
- THE EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
