Abstract:
The field of Congress and national security, with few exceptions, describes Congress in the post-World War II era as a secondary player in the development of defense policy. In fact, some scholars argue that Congress’ approach at times is characterized by deference, ambivalence, and even abdication. However, this dissertation argues that by failing to recognize some of the most influential forms of actual congressional power, scholars do not have a comprehensive understanding of the legislative branch’s participation in defense policymaking. In fact, in some areas of defense policy, such as military personnel policy, Congress actually leads.
