Barriers to Implementing Strategic Purchasing in the Department of Defense

Abstract

One can argue the Department of Defense has always faced a fiscal crisis. Year after year the DoD engages in a "guns versus butter debate" in competing with other agencies for the defense slice of the budget. The debating then shifts to the internal grappling between the services fighting for their parochial piece of the pie. Simply put, there has never been enough to go around. Subsequently, policymakers have always had to make tough budget decisions. Throughout the 90's following the end of the Cold War, defense budgets were in a steady decline. Between 1990 and 1997 outlays dropped nearly 26% in real terms. Between 1984 and 1998 the defense budget authority declined in real, inflation-adjusted dollars. Over the last five years the budget shows what appears to be a slight increase in defense outlays, but these increases have included increased costs for the Global War on Terrorism, the requirements for maintaining a heightened vigilance, and requirements levied in support of homeland security. In fact, between September 11, 2001 to May 2005 the DoD spent approximately $190B in support of these efforts.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA475510

Entities

People

  • David A. Searle

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Best Practices
  • Business Administration
  • Commerce
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Cost Reductions
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Management Personnel
  • National Governments
  • Organizational Structure
  • Supply Chain
  • Supply Chain Management
  • United States
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Economics
  • Strategic Security Studies