The United States of America is the most economically stable and the most democratic country in the world. The nation is also considered as the strongest on the globe in terms of military power. The hegemony status of the US was achieved because of its stable economy and strong military power. The closest rivals of the US military power include China, Russia, and India. Some of the factors used to determine the military power of a country include the technological level of the military equipment, the number of military personnel, and the military budget.[1]
The US army top in every aspect used to determine the military prowess of a nation. The army has the highest number of military personnel, only comparable to China, the US has the most advanced military equipment across the world. Besides, the US has the largest military budget in the world. The spending pattern of the US military has been changing over years depending on its military related activities across the world. Despite the variations in the spending trends of the military, no other country has surpassed the US military budget. The military spending of the United States of America has had several impacts on the development of democratic institutions within the US and other parts of the world. In some parts, the spending pattern has promoted the growth of democratic institutions while in other regions, it has led to decline of the democratic institutions.
The strength of the United States of America in the world is not only determined by its economic stability or its military strength, it is the most influential nation across the world in terms of producing the world order. The US has influence in the global world through its promotion of democracy across several nations on the globe.[2]
As a result of the US influence in the world politics, many countries have adopted the US system of government through development and enhancement of democratic institutions. In spite of facing criticism from other countries due to its military and political influence in different nations, the US has continued to be a major promoter of democracy within the US and other countries. The US uses its military as a major factor to influence and promote democracy in nations with oppressive systems of government for example dictatorship systems in the far and middle East.
Promoting democracy in other countries is a key mandate of the US foreign policies. Military is a key element in the implementation of the US foreign policies in other parts of the world. Whenever negotiations for democracy fails, the next option for the US is normally the use of military power to ensure that a system that vests the powers in the hands of the people is installed.[3] The relationship between the US military and the promotion of democratic institutions locally and globally can be traced back after the end of the Second World War.[4]
The US placed its military in strategic positions across Europe to ensure that it influences the political activities of the countries. The military being a major player in promoting democracy by the US government, the funding patterns of the military has major impacts on development of democratic institutions.
The key aspects that affects the military expenditures include the US military activities in other parts of the world as well as its engagements in the promotion of democracy in other countries through the foreign missions. Analyzing the pattern of the US military spending indicates that the expenditure is very high in a period when the US involved itself in promoting democracy in other countries. The pattern implies that a large amount of money is set aside for spreading of democratic institutions domestically and globally. The involvement of the US army is not always direct, in most cases, the US uses the available global military organizations like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to achieve its military objectives across the world. The US is a major funder of the NATO activities in many countries. The more the military involvement either directly or indirectly through organizations like NATO, the higher the military spending.
The changing in the military budgets of the US as a result of its commitment in spreading democracy domestically and globally has elicited debates among the US citizens because a majority of them do not understand the roles of the military in democratic institutions development. The US citizens are aware that the military spending must have a great impact on their lives. The greater government accountability to its people should trigger varied impacts on spending for example reducing the component associated with rent seeking and inefficiency but augmenting the element that actually buys the public good of national security. The connection between government accountability and expenditure ought to contingent. The military spending must also have a significant impact on the democratic institutions within the US because it forms the basis of the military commitment in the promotion of democracy in other countries.
The approach that the US military uses to spend the public funds takes into account the level of democracy. The theoretical models of the US military are majorly constructed in different forms and the first one is based on the median voter framework. The fact that the US is a democratic country, the powers are vested in the people and they must take part in determining the military spending of their nation.[5]
The military spending pattern promotes spread of democratic institutions because certain civil rights groups must be involved when the government wants to make important decisions that might affect the economic stability of the country. After the 9/11 attack on the US by the Al-Qaida terrorist group, the US military expenditure rose drastically after a fall in the 90s because it launched wars on different Arab countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, that were believed to friendly to the terrorists. The people of the US practiced their democratic right by voting in support of the military engagements in the countries.[6]
People support the US military involvement in other nations depending on how the military operations benefit the country. However, the US has also been accused of sabotaging other countries’ democratic systems through its military involvements. The US funded the military operations that led to the decline of the democratic system of Libya.
The promotion of democracy across the world is a key mandate of the US foreign policies. The country facilitates the spread of democratic domestically and around the globe through its military. In places where there is resistance to the development of democratic institutions, the US uses its military prowess to promote establish the institutions. The funding of the military determines the country’s role in promoting democracy around the world.
Bibliography
Caruso, Raul, and Marco Di Domizio. "Interdependence between US and European Military Spending: A Panel Cointegration Analysis (1988-2013)." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015.
Cox, Ronald W. "The Military-Industrial Complex and US Military Spending After 9/11." Class Race Corporate Power 2, no. 2 (2014).
Ganguly, Sumit, and William R. Thompson. "Democratic Institutions." Yale University Press, 2017.
Hunter, Lance Y., and Joseph W. Robbins. "Military Spending and Electoral Systems." Armed Forces " Society 42, no. 1 (2014), 51-74.
[1] Lance Y. Hunter and Joseph W. Robbins, "Military Spending and Electoral Systems," Armed Forces " Society 42, no. 1 (2014).
[2] Ronald W. Cox, "The Military-Industrial Complex and US Military Spending After 9/11," Class Race Corporate Power 2, no. 2 (2014).
[3] Sumit Ganguly and William R. Thompson, "Democratic Institutions," Yale University Press, 2017.
[4] Raul Caruso and Marco Di Domizio, "Interdependence between US and European Military Spending: A Panel Cointegration Analysis (1988-2013)," SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015.
[5] Lance Y. Hunter and Joseph W. Robbins, "Military Spending and Electoral Systems," Armed Forces " Society 42, no. 1 (2014).
[6] Ronald W. Cox, "The Military-Industrial Complex and US Military Spending After 9/11," Class Race Corporate Power 2, no. 2 (2014).
