This volume addresses the question of "how much defence is enough", in the post-Cold War world. The end of the Cold War has led to major reductions in the military might of the former adversaries. For the moment, although the United States is reducing its Cold War active-duty force of 2.2 million to about 1.4 million and yearly defence budget of $300 billion to about $250 billion, the Clinton administration has pledged that this force will remain "the best-equiped, best-trained, and best-prepared in the world". This book warns that, unless the United States takes powerful remedial action, or is very lucky, this pledge cannot be met. The author"s concern is that because of domestic, structural and governance issues within the United States, the future could see a smaller, weaker American military, an overly expensive defence infrastructure, with the possibility of serious consequences arising from this decline in strength.