Question

I need to write an essay on: cause and effect/ USA spends about 54% of its total federal budget on the Military. Military spending in the USA is far greater than any nation in the world. (USA spends more on military than the next 10 highest spenders combined, 4 times China who is second on the list etc) Why does USA need to spend so much more on its military than other countries (cause), and what is/are the results of all this spending (effect)?

Create an essay which supports some position on an issue related to the following 3 topics and support by showing causes and effects. Although there are many possible strategies, most students will find it easier to focus a thesis statement a limited number of causes and effects or even on a single most important example. This will allow the essay to develop a sufficient depth. The essays should not be a simple list of causes or effects, but an essay that takes a position on why a condition exists and or argues the results of this condition. Some writers may even be able to create a strong focused thesis by suggesting a solution or arguing for some clear change of policy. The goal is to create an essay that allows you to develop a position or argument in a cause and effect essay. A strong thesis statement is very important and students should underline it in the final draft of their essay.

This essay will require research and a good deal of time learning about your chosen topic, so make sure to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to learn before you start writing.

Essay should be 4 pages long and it must have a minimum of 3 academic sources—no Wikipedia, encyclopedias, dictionaries etc. Use the library resources to find legitimate, academic sources. The Riverland Library and the library’s web site offer many useful databases and resources for researchers. Most of these sources are consider academic good, sources. I suggest you get comfortable with library and its research tools because you will need to use effective source material for our last two essays.

Answer 1

Defence is perhaps one of the most important areas of concern for any country, big or small. When it comes to a country like USA, statistics reveal that not only is this country at the top when it comes to military expenditure, but also the expenditure is higher than the next ten expenditures combined. First things first; citizens will have faith in the government if it can provide security to them. Thus, spending on defence becomes a necessity and not a luxury. Secondly, one might ask why USA spends such humongous amounts on military. Well, if one can afford it, why not? After all, spending on bringing together an army of the highest class should be considered an investment and not unnecessary spending. What might seem unnecessary to us may be because the damage that could’ve been done otherwise has been negated by the protection offered by the military. Since damages was not visible to many, the latent benefits of security go unnoticed . But in today’s world of increasing violence and terrorism, one should be prepared to counter all types of disasters. Taking a closer look into the causes of huge expenditure requirements of military can throw light on why it is absolutely necessary.

To begin with, USA’s safety at home and beyond borders rests on a strong and effective military system. Spending millions on preventing disasters is a better prospect than recuperating from damages and rebuilding USA altogether. Unless safety and security is guaranteed first, there is no point in trying to improve the economic performance of the country. How well a country performs economically directly relates to how well its citizens are protected.

Secondly, when America elects a leader, it expects a lot from that government. But the most important is a sense of security. It is the duty of the Federal Government to grant this to its citizens. A country prone to constant attack and threat will lose faith in the system. Freedom, prosperity, welfare are all dependent on defence. They become concrete only when they are defended from people who destroy these. Unless there is security, no nation can prosper.

Thirdly, and most importantly, the world has become increasingly dangerous. World Wars have now become history, but all nations are together fighting a war against terrorism. As violence takes over the world, innocent lives are lost for no reason. 9/11 still sends shivers down the spine and that was an alarm to be prepared for worse attacks in future. The military is not only required to prevent these attacks, but to also defeat the attackers. Every country is gearing up by testing missiles on other small countries. Therefore it’ll be foolish to not strengthen US military further to be well trained and equipped to counter all insecurities. American military should be quick to respond to emerging perils. Vulnerability to terrorist attacks will only make terrorism stronger. Thus, not only a large army, but also first class weapons are required to fight off terrorists. All of this requires a lot of funds and involves huge expenditure for a secure future. Unless US is spending on the military, it is welcoming dangers that know no end. Damage of unimaginable levels is likely to take place with a smaller and poorly maintained military. Reducing expenditure on military to be efficient and sending ‘just about enough’ men invites the greater danger of unexpected failure. It is only logical to have a reserve army, equally well equipped and trained who can jump into the battlefield if the existing numbers of militants are unable to overpower the opponents. Such a huge army might appear to be unnecessary and the spending might look wasteful, but only with the lack of a huge army in times of need will its true presence be justified. It is also very important to note that a strong US military is a relief to countries turning to the USA for protection. Thus, the cause of having strong military is not limited to security of Americans alone.

Lastly, there are many parts to the perfect military system. Other than ground forces, there are other significant areas of national security that have to be expanded. With the passage of time, new and improved methods of security are becoming imperative to install. All these add to the increasing costs of maintaining a military, but are more than necessary for a safe long run.

The effects of these military spending are both positive and negative and can be summarized in the following way:

The first effect which comes into one’s mind gets expressed as considering military expenditure to be useless. But that’s in a layman’s term that isn’t sure of the exact vocabulary to use. What that layman means might be completely different. In reality, our resources are finite and wants unlimited. Thus the economy is constantly facing trade-offs where spending on one requires cutting back on the expenditure on another. The classic ‘Guns and Butter’ problem takes the example of resources spent on defence against other necessary goods like food. The concept of opportunity cost which is the cost of sacrificing the next best alternative, stems from this example. Thus spending on military requires cutting on other necessary expenditures. Even if a part of the huge expenditure on military is devoted to boosting concerned industries, the economy will be driven to higher levels of income and production. However, since USA is a developed country, this trade off isn’t as serious as in a small developing country. But this still means sacrificing expenditure on other important public infrastructure necessary for growth and welfare. Also, humongous expenditure on military has also contributed to an increasing national debt.

Secondly, the economy is largely interlinked. Just like how funds are required to maintain the military, the military also helps in creating jobs and generating income. Not only through direct employment, but also indirectly, the livelihood of many Americans are dependent on how well the military is maintained. Jobs of contractors, consultants, etc are created to support the military. Weapons industry gets a forward push and earns higher revenues. Those getting paid from services related to the military drive up demand of other commodities which further increase income of producers of those commodities and this cycle goes on. Thus, unemployment reduces and availability of jobs and investments increases with a stronger and bigger military.

Thirdly, resources devoted to military research have been nothing but positive externalities to the economy. The internet, GPS, drones etc. which were primarily created for security reasons are finding place in day to day activities to make lives easier. Human capital allocated to research and development of military system has thus contributed positively, knowingly or unknowingly, to other sectors of the economy as well.

Lastly and most importantly, the amount spent helps USA buy security. Emergencies and disasters can be met with better preparation. Threats from foreign countries can be prevented on time. National security is of utmost importance and this subheading falls both under the cause and effect of military expenditure. The main purpose of spending enormous amounts on military is to purchase safety and security of the nation from all potential dangers and that objective is being realized as far as USA is concerned.

Therefore, to summarize, out of a host of other causes, the most important cause of spending mammoth amounts on military is to not compromise of the quality of national security awarded to USA. Similarly, out of various positive and negative effects, even though increased spending on military reduces expenditure on other areas of concern, the security that USA gets in return is worth the sacrifice. It’s better to be prepared to face damage rather than let it hit hard and unexpectedly. After all, prevention is better than cure.