Rediscovering Defense Policy: A Public Policy Call to Arms

Abstract

Since 9/11, policy scholars have made significant inroads with tremendous insights into U.S. homeland security policy, especially in the areas of counterterrorism and disaster relief. But as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan raged on, the public policy field largely ceded questions of traditional defense policy to international relations and security scholars. This was a mistake. The time has come for policy scholars to rediscover defense policy and rejoin America's national security conversation. With defense spending in decline, the All-Volunteer Force in transition, and emerging threats on the rise, research on defense budgeting and management, military social policy, and cyber bureaucracy are all ripe for scholarly examination. This research note reviews the latest work in the field, reinvigorates national security research agendas for the twenty-first century, and explores several ideas for the way ahead in defense policy scholarship.

Public Policy Perspective on Group Decision‐Making Dynamics in Foreign Policy

“…Despite the differences between public and foreign policy, we agree with Archuleta's () conclusion, that even though “Defense and national security subsystems are far more insular and less pluralistic than domestic policy subsystems, the construct [of the policy cycle] still applies” (p. S51). We now address the stage‐specific definition for policy formulation, decision‐making, and implementation, followed by a review of small group dynamics and the link between the two.…”

Putting Big Data to Work in Government: The Case of the United States Border Patrol

“…Concurrently, scholars should consider focusing future efforts on homeland security, intelligence, and national security agencies adoption of big data technologies. Traditionally neglected in public administration scholarship (Archuleta 2016), some of these organizations, such as the National Security Agency (NSA), were among the first users of big data technologies. If scholars examine how these technologies are used for day-to-day security tasks, it can inform our understanding of the risks and benefits of big data for security.…”

The 2016 Public Policy Yearbook: Recent Trends in Public Policy Research

“…Brandon Archuleta () discusses the current state of defense and national security policy by examining recent research focused on the institutions and processes that structure U.S. policymaking. In his review, he summarizes published research by policy scholars, international relations scholars, diplomatic historians, and scholar‐practioners.…”