An Illustrative Case Study for Twentieth Century Defense Planners: The Technology and Politics of United States Coastal Defense, 1880-1898.
Abstract
Three critical groups of individuals determine what U.S. defenses will be at any time: 'publicists' recommend defensive measures; 'planners' translate recommendations into legislative proposals; 'politicians' decide which proposals will be funded. National welfare is the rational basis for providing defenses, yet proposals more often fail because of narrower parochial considerations. U.S. coastal defenses during the transition from the tecnologies of cast-iron guns and wooden ships to steel guns and armored ships (approximately 1870-1900) provide a case history of providing for U.S. defense, with twentieth century parallels. Publicists and planners quickly recognized the technological obsolescene of pre-Civil War coastal defenses, yet politicians failed to provide funds for improved defenses except when pushed by the threat of war; ultimately, only the coastal vulnerability demonstrated by the Spanish-American War (1898) provided an impetus adequate to cause Congress to fund prudent defenses. Reasons for Congressional lethargy are diverse and complex, but include regional interests, isolationism, party politics, inadequate revenues, competing technological proposals, lack of palpable threat, and poorly organized lobbying.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 24, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA087185
Entities
People
- Kenneth Earl Hamburger