The Contest Over National Security
Book •
Peter Rohde's book examines how the meaning and institutions of American national security were contested across the twentieth century, showing how advocates for defense and domestic welfare battled to shape policy.
Rohde traces key debates, political campaigns, and institutional reforms—especially around the New Deal, World War II, and the 1947 National Security Act—that determined what counts as national security.
The book highlights actors who promoted a broader conception tying citizens' economic and social well-being to national security, and those who narrowed the term to foreign policy and military concerns.
Through archival research and narrative history, Rohde explains how language, persuasion campaigns, and bureaucratic interests reshaped public understanding and government priorities.
The work argues that these historical choices still influence contemporary debates about threats like pandemics, opioids, and climate change.
Rohde traces key debates, political campaigns, and institutional reforms—especially around the New Deal, World War II, and the 1947 National Security Act—that determined what counts as national security.
The book highlights actors who promoted a broader conception tying citizens' economic and social well-being to national security, and those who narrowed the term to foreign policy and military concerns.
Through archival research and narrative history, Rohde explains how language, persuasion campaigns, and bureaucratic interests reshaped public understanding and government priorities.
The work argues that these historical choices still influence contemporary debates about threats like pandemics, opioids, and climate change.
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What is “National Security” Anyway?
