The Dangers of U.S. Military Dominance

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Numerous polls show that Americans want to reduce our military presence abroad, allowing our allies and other nations to assume greater responsibility both for their own defense and for enforcing security in their respective regions. Why haven’t we done so? In The Power Problem, Christopher Preble contends that the vast military strength of the United States has induced policymakers in Washington to broaden the perception of the “national interest,” and ultimately to commit the United States to the impossible task of maintaining global order. What does preserving American security require, and how engaged should U.S. forces be beyond protecting our core national interests? To what extent does the status quo advance U.S. security, and to what degree is it undermining our security, imposing unnecessary costs, and forcing all Americans to incur additional risks? Please join Cato’s Christopher Preble and the Nixon Center’s Paul Saunders for a discussion about the nature of American military power, its purpose in U.S. foreign policy, and its power to define the national interest.