Economic Aspects of National Security

Abstract

National security is a broad concept, relating to the large variety of issues encountered by nations faced with threats to the physical safety of their inhabitants, to their territorial integrity or to other vital interests. Governments usually accord high priority to national security, and while contending with actual or potential threats are willing to dedicate large human and material resources to defense. Allocating resources for defense has, however, economic implications, and national security thereby becomes an economic issue. Defense economics addresses the many questions arising from the interaction between national security and economics.