In what ways has the primary responsibility of the Department of Defense, which is to defend the nation from external attack, been expanded in the pursuit of other objectives? Provide two examples of military missions that have gone beyond the

department's primary responsibility. Referring to Figure 18.2, how has this expanded role of the military affected defense spending? What arguments have been made by policy experts regarding whether the current approach to defense is making America safer?

What will be an ideal response?


An ideal response will:
1, Provide two examples of military missions that pursued objectives beyond keeping the nation safe from external attack, such as counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East, providing assistance to war-torn areas in Africa, antidrug operations in South America, and the struggle to maintain stability in Afghanistan.
2, Note that although defense spending has varied with historical events, it is trending clearly upward, and the United States spends more money on defense than any other nation.
3, Identify the argument for maintaining the U.S. military advantage because it acts as a deterrent to attacks on the United States by both state and non-state actors who fear reprisal by U.S. forces.
4, Discuss the arguments against the current approach, which are twofold: (1) a large military is no longer necessary, since today's concerns have less to do with the threat of attack from a large country like the Soviet Union and more to do with threats from non-state actors like terrorist groups; (2) maintaining such a powerful military forces other countries to depend on the United States for defense, thereby making the U.S. military a global police force and America a greater target for terrorist groups.

Political Science

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Which of the following is an example of "middle-class welfare"?

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