U.S. Defense Budgeting

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the strengths of the U.S. defense budgeting process are that it has many avenues for access and accountability by interested parties, ensuring that the overall military effort is essentially transparent and responsible to society. The author points out that the process allows for much waste and influence, which adds cost rather than value; thereby, the process fails to promote efficiency. The paper relates that the system is not likely to be changed radically soon because the entrenched interests can continue to win favored positions and reforming the system takes great momentum and uncommon nerve. Sources listed are in the form of endnotes.

Table of Contents:
Budgeting Concepts
Budgeting Participants
Budgeting Process
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"One of the main ways that government decides on what to spend each year is through baseline budgeting. It takes what was spent in the previous year as the jumping off point and begins its deliberations on what to spend in the upcoming years based upon that. By using this method, the government can operate according to expectations that have some recent history to support claims that more money is needed or less can be done with. It looks at how things went in the past year and decides where to beef up spending and where to cut."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Committee on the Budget of the United States Senate. "The Congressional Budget Process." (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1998), 2.
• "Defense Budget Process." <http://www.csbaonline.org/ 3Defense_Budget_Process/Defense_Budget_Process.htm> (20 November 2006), 1-5.
• Matthews, William. "Shadow Budget." Armed Forces Journal. April, 2004. <http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2006/04/1813765> (20 November 2006).

More papers on U.S. Defense Budgeting:

• Dissertation or Thesis # 106590 : "The Global Defense Industry"
• Research Paper # 98654 : "A Cutback in Defense Spending"
• Research Paper # 94721 : "Defense Spending Increases"

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