Retrenchment and/or Renewal: Grand Strategy in Times of Fiscal Constraint 

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The Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) of the United States Army War College (USAWC) has partnered with the Triangle Institute for Security Studies and the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin to host the “Retrenchment and/or Renewal: Grand Strategy in Times of Fiscal Restraint” conference, a scholarly colloquium addressing this key national security issue. The conference will be held on November 9-10 at the UNC Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill, NC. Registration is required.  Additional information can be found here.

The SSI is the U.S. Army’s research organization for the analysis of national security policy and military strategy. SSI is part of the USAWC at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and its research provides direct analysis for the use of Army, Department of Defense, and U.S. Government leaders focused on global strategic issues.

For each of the panels below we have commissioned a literature review essay from graduate students at Duke University and the University of Texas at Austin. Each student will present a short summary of his or her work at the start of each panel. Two other faculty, one from History and one from Political Science or Public Policy, will serve as commentators for each panel.

The Political Science of Retrenchment/Renewal: What is the state of the literature explaining the conditions under which retrenchment/renewal happens and the conditions under which it leads to better or worse outcomes?

• Paper Writer: Charlie Miller, Ph.D. Candidate (Duke University)
• Commentators: Francis Gavin, Ph.D. (The University of Texas at Austin) & Pascal Vennesson, Ph.D. (Nanyang Technological University)

Historical Case #1: Hoover and the Adjustment to the Depression

• Paper Writer: Eleanor Douglas, Ph.D. Candidate (The University of Texas at Austin)
• Commentators: Michael Morgan, Ph.D. (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) & Peter Trubowitz, Ph.D. (The University of Texas at Austin)

Historical Case #2: Nixon and the Adjustment to Stalemate in Vietnam

• Paper Writer: Megan Reiss, Ph.D. Candidate (The University of Texas at Austin)
• Commentators: Fredrik Logevall, Ph.D. (Cornell University) & Joshua Rovner, Ph.D. (U.S. Naval War College)

Historical Case #3: Carter/Reagan and the Adjustment to Détente

• Paper Writer: Brian Muzas, Ph.D. Candidate (The University of Texas at Austin)
• Commentators: Hal Brands, Ph.D. (Duke University) & Colin Dueck, Ph.D. (George Mason University)

The Current Strategic Debate: What are the principle aces of disagreement in the current debate?

• Paper Writer: Ionut Popescu, Ph.D. Candidate (Duke University)
• Commentators: William Inboden (The University of Texas at Austin) & Celeste Ward Gventer (The University of Texas at Austin)