The Evolution of Republican and Democratic Positions on Cold War Military Spending: A Historical Puzzle

Social Science History, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 2007

52 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2007

See all articles by Benjamin O. Fordham

Benjamin O. Fordham

State University of New York (SUNY) - Department of Political Science

Abstract

The domestic politics of American military spending during the Cold War confronts scholars with an important but often overlooked puzzle: the two major parties appear to have switched positions on the issue. During the early Cold War era, Democrats were generally supportive of increased military spending while Republicans were critical. After the mid-1960s, Democrats increasingly tended to oppose larger military budgets, while Republicans more often favored them. This paper presents evidence about the process through which this change took place. It identifies several developments in the domestic and international environment that may have contributed to this party switch, and evaluates preliminary evidence about each of them.

Keywords: military spending, American foreign policy, domestic politics

Suggested Citation

Fordham, Benjamin O., The Evolution of Republican and Democratic Positions on Cold War Military Spending: A Historical Puzzle. Social Science History, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1005673

Benjamin O. Fordham (Contact Author)

State University of New York (SUNY) - Department of Political Science ( email )

Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.benjaminfordham.com/

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