Open Letter on Defense Reform
An open letter on defense reform, addressing problems that require significant reform to ensure the U.S. maintains the finest military in the world.
Read the most recent CSIS research on defense reform efforts.
An open letter on defense reform, addressing problems that require significant reform to ensure the U.S. maintains the finest military in the world.
Defense Reform Survey As interest in major reforms to the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act has grown, the CSIS International Security Program has decided to create a survey to gauge public opinion on the primary contemporary problems facing the defense establishment. The survey is now closed. View the survey results
The perceived need for reform is in the interagency coordination process has increased over the years. Yet, the way forward is complicated by a constitutional fault line. This piece assesses challenges in the interagency process, the national security staff, and a possible way forward for improvement.
Reform is challenging. Reforming major government institutions is exceptionally difficult. However, it is not impossible. This essay reflects on the factors promoted the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which led to reform in the Department of Defense.