| A | B |
|---|
| Military-industrial complex | The idea that there are an organized set of corporations deviously planning to raise military spending. |
| "peace dividend" | switching military spending to domestic spending during peacetime |
| "World's Policeman" | what we would be if we were involved in many overseas military operations (wait, we are, aren't we?) |
| Joint Chiefs of Staff | officers that make decisions about cuts and allocation of military spending. |
| Armed Services Committees | the conglomeration of what used to be House and Senate Committees for each military service. |
| Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) | Proposed by Pres. Reagan, would intercept missiles headed for the US |
| Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles | Missiles that could reach long ranges (like between continents!) |
| Mutual Assured Destruction | the "Butter Battle" concept: since we both have weapons pointed at each other, neither will shoot |
| "don't ask, don't tell" | enacted under Clinton, homosexuals can join the military as long as they keep their sexuality a secret. |
| Cost overruns | when the costs of an item are more than the predicted costs |
| Gold plating | asking for all the best in a weapon |
| readiness | this always gets cut when military spending is cut |
| Commission on Base Realignment and Closure | decide which bases get closed so Congress doesn't have to take the blame. |
| National Security Act (1947) | established Dept of Defense. |
| Chain of Command | President, Secretary of Defense (congress wants military unification) |
| Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) | increased the power of defense dept officials |
