Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) is the nation’s primary military organization, overseeing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force to defend the United States and shape global security. From high-level foreign policy coordination between the National Security Council, the Pentagon, and the State Department (How the NSC, Pentagon, and State Department Shape US Foreign Policy) to nuclear threat tracking, response, and war planning (How America Tracks Nuclear Threats; How America Responds to Nuclear Threats; How America Plans for Nuclear War), this category explains how the modern Pentagon works, spends money, and prepares for threats in ways that are easy to understand.

War, Peace, and Democratic Oversight

DoD exists to plan for war, prevent conflict when possible, and fight when necessary—but its missions also raise hard questions about democratic control, spending, and accountability. Articles here walk through major debates over whether the department’s name should return to the “Department of War” era (Should the Department of Defense Become the Department of War Again?), how much the United States should spend on its roughly trillion-dollar military (Debating American Military Spending: Amount, Priorities), and how Congress both lost and can regain control over the nation’s wars (How Congress Lost Control of America’s Wars; How Congress Can Stop Wars). You can also explore analyses of potential conflicts like a war with Iran and what Pentagon war plans look like in practice (The Iran War No One Wants; Inside the Pentagon’s Iran War Plans), along with guides on how Congress attempts to keep this massive system in check (How Congress Keeps America’s $1 Trillion Military in Check).