Analyzing the US National Security Budget

The US National Security Budget is one of the largest and most complex financial documents in the world, directly shaping global strategy and domestic priorities. Understanding how these billions of dollars are allocated is essential for anyone interested in public policy or defense affairs. This course provides a comprehensive roadmap through the defense budgeting process. You will learn to break down complex financial data, identify key spending drivers, and develop an analytical framework for evaluating competing national security policy alternatives. What you'll learn: * Understand the foundational structure of the annual defense budget, distinguishing between major categories like procurement, R&D, and operations. * Analyze the roles and influence of the Department of Defense, Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget in the complex appropriations cycle. * Examine the principles of program analysis and evaluation (PA&E) used to justify and prioritize major acquisition programs and military systems. * Learn how modern strategic priorities, including cybersecurity and space defense, are funded and integrated into traditional budget planning. * Practice framing and assessing policy alternatives using quantitative analysis tools to determine cost-effectiveness and strategic tradeoffs. The course begins by defining key terminology and the legal framework governing federal spending, then walks through the annual budget formulation and execution process, concluding with practical methods for policy analysis. This course is designed for absolute beginners in political science, public policy, or defense studies. No prior knowledge of government finance or military strategy is required. Develop the analytical toolkit required to understand and critique national security spending.