Lawmakers are considering sharp cuts to defense spending as part of mandated deficit-reduction efforts. This Backgrounder discusses the effects of such major cuts and implications for U.S. military strategy.

General James Amos discusses the future role of the Marines in post-Afghanistan national security strategy.

House Armed Services Committee Republican staff members sent this memo regarding their assessment of the impacts of budget cuts to Chairman Howard McKeon on September 22, 2011.

In his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Max Boot argues that the impact of budget cuts has the potential to devastate our armed forces and do more damage to their fighting capacity than any other external foe.

As partisan wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling continues in Washington, fears are mounting that a default could trigger another global economic crisis. This guide offers timely analysis on the global implications of the U.S. debt crisis.

Defense-spending cuts should be a big part of a deficit reduction deal, says CFR's Richard Betts, with the Pentagon pursuing a budget that reflects a reduced threat environment and limits the production of expensive, state-of-the-art equipment.

The defense budget is at an inflection point. For the first time in more than a decade, both the base budget and war budget are declining. This comprehensive analysis provides a detailed overview of the 2012 Defense budget request as well as existing proposals to reduce the Pentagon's budget.

Max Boot says preparedness of the U.S. military cannot be sacrificed for a federal budget deal.

Max Boot testifies before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia on the future of the U.S. relationship with Iraq.

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, discusses issues facing the United States and East Asian countries, drawing on observations from his recent trip to examine U.S. national security and foreign policy toward the region.

President Obama's decision to make Leon Panetta head of the Pentagon and Gen. David Petraeus head of the CIA shows the growing influence of the intelligence agency and its integration with the military, says CFR's Micah Zenko.

Micah Zenko examines the differences in opinion held by elites and the broader American public regarding U.S. national security and defense issues.

Micah Zenko and Rebecca R. Friedman argue, "... a fully funded foreign assistance budget is essential to prevent the political instability and violent conflict that harms American security."

Max Boot argues that plans for further cuts in defense spending will have detrimental effects on the international security commitments of the United States.

Fifty years after President Eisenhower's warning, the "military-industrial complex" still thrives and dictates national priorities, says CFR's Les Gelb, who argues that President Obama should make a case for building a strong domestic economy as a national security issue.

Pentagon budgets have soared over the last decade, partly because of a failure to prioritize.

Stars and Stripes' Washington correspondent Kevin Baron discusses the challenges of the military pushing for more civilian aid in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bipartisan plans for reining in the U.S. deficit have been billed as crucial for national security. Yet those plans have triggered debate on whether proposed defense and foreign affairs cuts themselves pose a security threat.

Leslie H. Gelb discusses Secretary Gates' plan to increase the defense budget.

Max Boot says defense cuts will leave the United Kingdom unable to support its current deployment in Afghanistan.