Will Biden Kick the Country’s Defense Spending Habit?

Mar 31, 2021

Americans wait to see what President Biden slogan, “America is back,” really means. For the many Americans across both parties who want Congress to take away the Pentagons blank check, it could mean that our national budget finally reflects our national priorities: allocating more money to rebuild non-military sources of national power. No matter what they campaigned on, presidents from both parties have long committed a large share of the nation’s treasure to the Pentagon. If Biden addresses this stubborn habit, then “America’s back” could truly move the country forward.

 

This post is part of Independent America, a research project led out by EGF senior fellow Mark Hannah, which seeks to explore how U.S. foreign policy could better be tailored to new global realities and to the preferences of American voters.