Skip to content
Defense360
A Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Global Go to Think Tank Index ranking #1 U.S. Think Tank and Center of Excellence for Defense and National Security
  • Analysis
  • Data
  • Opinion
  • About
  • Series: Transition46
  • Acquisition
  • Budget
  • Forces
  • Reform
  • Strategy

Series: Bad Ideas in National Security

D360’s Bad Ideas in National Security series features short articles from CSIS and outside scholars on recently considered and not too obvious bad ideas in the defense and foreign policy space.

  • Filter Results:

Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: Dismissing Russia as a Declining Power in U.S. Strategy

Russia has been dismissed as a declining by some policymakers and analysts who prefer to focus on competition with China. Yet Russia remains one of the most assertive and powerful states in the international system and ignoring the threat it poses is a strategic error.

December 18, 2020 — Michael Kofman
Opinion / Budget

Bad Idea: Considering the Debt a Threat to National Security

Austerity hawks who focus overly much on the size of the national debt as an indicator of national security strength are missing the bigger picture. Expected interest rate hikes haven’t materialized, and instead the U.S. is missing opportunities for long-term investment.

December 18, 2020 — Gregory Sanders
Opinion / Budget, Reform

Bad Idea: Eliminating, Rather Than Reforming, Overseas Contingency Operations Funding

Nothing in D.C. has the ability to unite political adversaries like a mutual hatred of the Pentagon’s OCO funding. But eliminating OCO — instead of reforming it — could further imperil the greater transparency and accountability that its detractors seek.

December 18, 2020 — Seamus P. Daniels
Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: All Sensors, All Shooters, All the Time – a Joint All-Domain Command and Control System That Prioritizes Centralization

JADC2 is supposed to give U.S. forces a competitive advantage by connecting sensors to shooters. But centralizing data streams only makes a bigger target — one that U.S. adversaries are already planning to take down. JADC2 should instead be reenvisioned into a more flexible, bottom-up system.

December 15, 2020 — Mark Seip
Opinion / Budget

Bad Idea: The “Use-It-Or-Lose-It” Law for DoD Spending

The inability to carry over O&M and MILPERS funding into the fiscal year after they are appropriated encourages year-end spending spikes and negative outcomes. This is a problem Congress can easily fix, writes a former DoD comptroller.

December 15, 2020 — The Honorable Robert F. Hale
Opinion / Acquisition

Bad Idea: Overly Focusing on Speed in Development and Acquisition

The Department of Defense is prioritizing speed in its acquisitions and development strategy. However, fixating on speed could lead to issues with program management, sustainment, and other areas.

December 15, 2020 — Jonathan P. Wong
Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: Conflating Great Power Competition with High-Intensity Conflict

DoD should not make the mistake of preparing for “great power competition” by investing only in high-intensity capabilities. While the U.S. should indeed be prepared for direct conflict, much of the fighting will be conducted through irregular warfare operations.

December 15, 2020 — Todd Harrison, Nicholas Harrington
Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: Focusing International Space Cooperation on Established Space Powers

While the U.S. is prioritizing relationships with nations that have highly-developed space programs, China is building out partnerships with nations that have underdeveloped programs. If the U.S. does not reorient its focus, it risks ceding leadership in this critical domain to China.

December 11, 2020 — Brian Hart
Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: Halting or Reversing Trump-Era NASA Programs in a New Administration

A presidential transition usually means a new direction for NASA. But in this case, the Biden administration should prioritize two key Trump-era initiatives — the Artemis Program and LEO commercialization — given their importance to the future of space exploration and development.

December 11, 2020 — Makena Young
Opinion / Strategy

Bad Idea: Fearing Power Vacuums

Justifying ongoing U.S. military occupations by warning that China or Russia will stand to benefit from the ensuing power vacuum is illogical. There are a number of reasons to think that adversaries will struggle to gain meaningful influence following a U.S. withdrawal.

December 11, 2020 — Benjamin H. Friedman
1 2 Next »
Center for Strategic and International Studies

The CSIS International Security Program (ISP) is a constant source of reliable analysis on the threats and opportunities shaping U.S. security interests at home and abroad.

Connect with Us

1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
intlsecurity@csis.org
@CSISDefense360
© 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy