The Department of Defense and the militarization of US foreign policy from Bush to Obama (2001-2017)

Author(s)

Clarissa Nascimento Forner

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo. 2020-09-15.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Políticas Públicas e Relações Internacionais. São Paulo
• Defense date: 2020-08-21
• Advisor: Cristina Soreanu Pecequilo

Abstract

The military establishment has been one of the main pillars of the United States of America (USA) international projection. Since the 1950s, the institutionalization of the Department of Defense (DoD) has been intertwined with the political and economic dynamics of the domestic field, which guaranteed a vast array of material capacities and prominence in the decision-making processes for the agency. The ongoing US military interventionism in other regions of the globe favored the spillover of American troops abroad. After the end of the Cold War (1947-1989), the interdependence of the capabilities developed by the defense bureaucracy and the successive budget cuts that affected the civilian foreign policy instruments led to an increase of DOD´s functions and of the armed forces. This expansion was also a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the outbreak of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Budgetary imbalances and the accumulated competencies have sparked domestic debates about the possibility of an increased dependency of US foreign policy towards military power. This PhD dissertation explores this debate identifying the functions and authorities acquired by the Pentagon in the foreign policy realm, particularly during the administrations of George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Barack Obama (2009-2017). Hypothetically, during this timeframe, the enhanced international presence of the Pentagon represented the militarization of some sectors of American foreign policy. Militarization is defined as the process of juxtaposition of functions, authorities and influence by the defense agency and the armed forces in the foreign policy making process. Thus, it will also be our intention to analyze the sources of legitimacy of DoD's international activities and militarization. To this end, we will map the relations built by the agency with the presidency, the Congress, the private and civilian agencies related to the field of foreign policy, notably the Department of State (DoS) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Finally, we will seek to contribute to the debate, deepening the discussion on the concepts of militarization and militarism, through the qualification of terms based on the history and specificities of the American case. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/25941-3 - The department of defense and the militarization of us foreign policy from Bush to Obama (2001-2017)
• Grantee: Clarissa Nascimento Forner
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)