PLS 377 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention, Nuclear Proliferation
Document Summary
States acquire arms in response to the arms acquisitions of adversaries. When both sides are ensnared in this action-reaction process, the consequence is an arms race: an action reaction process of acquiring arms in response to the arms acquisitions of an adversary . Basically, if your enemy acquires more arms, you will also decide to acquire more arms. There are other explanations for arms acquisition which include domestic influences. Companies who produce weaponry for the armed forces wanting increased business. Transforming a peacetime economy into a wartime economy requires a mobilization of industrial and human resources, and sometimes war efforts must be prioritized over other economic activities. The relationship between military preparedness and economic welfare during peacetime is a highly debated issue. Butter is a way to summarize the trade-offs between military preparedness and economic performance during peacetimes. Guns refers to military spending, butter refers to social programs. Great deal of argument over which defense spending is more economically productive.
