Rethinking America's security

de Graham T. Allison, Gregory F. Treverton

During the Cold War, American national security seemed clearly defined: to protect against the overarching threat of the Soviet Union and Communist expansion. But with the demise of Communism, America must reconsider its role in the world as dramatically as it did after victory in World War II. As the only real superpower, how should we use our military strength? What are the lessons of the Persian Gulf War? How and when do we cut back on our defense and national security establishment? In the New World Order a country's social cohesion and economic strength at home are increasingly important determinants of its success. To what extent does America need to reconsider its national security in domestic terms--i.e., improving economic competitiveness and learning to live within its means? In this new collection, sponsored by the American Assembly and the Council on Foreign Relations, a group of leading experts assesses the changing conception of national security in the 1990s and its implications for American policy at home and abroad.