Read the most recent CSIS research on defense reform efforts.
The Packard Commission reform transformed the acquisition side of the Department of Defense. However, it also decapitated the innovation ecosystem. If we are to restore the culture of innovation the Packard Commission will need be addressed.
The United States has never grappled with the degree of civil-military dysfunction that many other nations have faced. The threat of a military coup has never been a significant concern. Yet civil-military friction is intrinsic in the compromise between the nation’s republican nature, which insists on civilian control and military subordination, and the existence of a standing federal military force.
Although addressed in the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the question of how much power the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is reemerging. Now in a fiercely partisan environment, Congress should take caution as they reconsider the question.
Goldwater-Nichols legislation of 1986 was a major reform of the Department of Defense. Now thirty years later there are rumblings to identifying more changes for another reform proposal. This article looks at some key issues and proposes some initial next steps Congress should consider.
Questions and answers about a stand-alone acquisition reform bill released by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry.
CSIS International Security Program conducted a survey to gauge public opinion on the primary contemporary problems facing the defense establishment. These are the initial survey findings that were presented the CSIS Defense Reform Conference event on March 14.
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.