Preliminary Evidence on the Allocation of U.S. Army Deaths from Operation Iraqi Freedom (Author Abstract) (Report)

Introduction U.S. Army activity around the world in the early years of the 21st century is yielding data that may be examined to ascertain the role of political influence on the use of the nation's war-making resources. In an aggregate sense, the President and Congress jointly determine whether to deploy the nation's military resources and leave the conduct of the war to the Defense Department. However, the President and Congress may also influence more specific aspects of how the nation's military resources are used. In particular, the decision to deploy elements of the nation's armed forces to a hostile theater of operations in Iraq may be influenced by a cost-benefit analysis conducted by political agents in the White House and on Capitol Hill.