U.S. Budgets for National Security
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this course on how U.S. defense spending connects to military forces, weapons systems, and policy decisions. Students examine the federal budget process, the Future Years Defense Program, and the tradeoffs between readiness, modernization, and force structure that shape Pentagon spending choices. The course builds a practical framework for evaluating defense policy alternatives, covering topics such as procurement costs, personnel expenses, and the political dynamics between Congress, the Department of Defense, and the White House. Materials include a syllabus, lecture notes, readings, and assignments drawn from real budget documents and case studies, letting students practice the same analytical tools used by defense analysts and policymakers. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all course materials are free to access, with no certificate offered. The course suits students interested in political science, security studies, or public policy who want a grounded, numbers-based view of how national security priorities actually get funded.