Undergraduate and graduate students who wish to receive a grade for this course must submit a referenced and footnoted research paper of 25-35 pages on an approved topic related to U.S. defense politics. The paper is a significant part of a student's grade.
Possible Paper Topics
Here are some suggestions:
- Rumsfeld the Second Time Around. This is Secretary Rumsfeld's second tour as SECDEF, having served in the Ford Administration as well as the Bush II administration. How do these tours compare?
- Congress and Defense Under Republican Rule. The 1990s mark the first time in more than a half century when the Republicans controlled both houses of Congress. Much has been written about the Democrat controlled Congress and the military, but what has been the relationship under Republican rule?
- The Generals' Chorus. Evaluate the role of retired flag and general officers in national politics and the shaping of defense policy. Generals and admirals retire early and live long with more time to get in the way or help out.
- Defense Firm Business strategies. What happened after all the mergers and acquisitions? How did the firms restructure themselves?
- Military Partners. The U.S. armed services have developed special ties to counterpart branches in other countries. What impact do these special relationships have on U.S. and foreign defense policies and strategies?
- Veteran organizations after Vietnam. What has happened to the veterans' affairs and the organizations that lobby under the name of veterans after Vietnam? Did the older veteran groups absorb the Vietnam veterans or did new organizations prosper?
- Halliburton's Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR). Describe the history of the company and evaluate its role as a military support contractor.
- The Military vote: is it really important? What do we know about enlisted ranks and officers' vote? What states are most influenced and does it matter?
- Military resignations - do they matter? What happens when senior officers resign? Over policy disputes with civilian officials?
- Uparmoring Humvees and Soldiers. Why has the military been unable to acquire uparmored Humvees and trucks, and enough body armor to protect soldiers in Iraq?