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U.S. Defense Spending, Electoral Cycles, and Soviet-American Relations

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  • Gary Zuk

    (Department of Political Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and State University)

  • Nancy R. Woodbury

    (Department of Political Science, Duke University)

Abstract

We investigate whether U.S. defense spending has been systematically increased (or decreased) during national election years for the presumed purpose of influencing the economy in general and the electorate in particular. Our analysis of five major kinds of defense spending essentially showed no support for a two- or four-year electoral-defense spending cycle. Instead, we find that two international factors, war and the state of U.S.-Soviet relations, have been largely responsible for the distinctively irregular pattern of post-1945 U.S. defense spending.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary Zuk & Nancy R. Woodbury, 1986. "U.S. Defense Spending, Electoral Cycles, and Soviet-American Relations," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 30(3), pages 445-468, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:30:y:1986:i:3:p:445-468
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002786030003003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zuk, Gary & Thompson, William R., 1982. "The Post-Coup Military Spending Question: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Time Series Analysis," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 76(1), pages 60-74, March.
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    6. Russett, Bruce, 1982. "Defense Expenditures and National Well-being," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 76(4), pages 767-777, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Dubois, 2016. "Political business cycles 40 years after Nordhaus," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 235-259, January.
    2. Eric Dubois, 2016. "Political Business Cycles 40 Years after Nordhaus," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01291401, HAL.
    3. Bove, Vincenzo & Efthyvoulou, Georgios & Navas, Antonio, 2017. "Political cycles in public expenditure: butter vs guns," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 582-604.
    4. Rosella Cappella Zielinski & Benjamin O Fordham & Kaija E Schilde, 2017. "What goes up, must come down? The asymmetric effects of economic growth and international threat on military spending," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 54(6), pages 791-805, November.
    5. Eric Dubois, 2016. "Political Business Cycles 40 Years after Nordhaus," Post-Print hal-01291401, HAL.

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