E246 - Cold War Liberal Empire w/ Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes

In For Might and Right, Michael Brenes analyzes how the expansion of defense spending during the Cold War reshaped American democracy and economic life, arguing that military Keynesianism and the growth of defense-related public-private networks reconfigured political incentives and regional development. Drawing on archival research, the book traces how federal military contracts, procurement, and base construction created new industrial and political coalitions, affecting labor markets and local economies across the United States. Brenes situates defense spending within broader debates about welfare-state priorities, showing how military investment often substituted for social spending and redistributed resources geographically. He explores the consequences for democratic accountability and representation as defense-related elites gained influence over policy and institutions. The work connects mid-century policy choices to longer-term patterns in U.S. governance and political economy.

Cold War Liberalism, edited by Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes, is an academic collection exploring how liberal political thought and institutions adapted during moments of crisis in the Cold War era. The volume brings together essays that examine the relationship between security imperatives and liberal governance, showing how emergency practices influenced policy, law, and international relations. Contributors trace the intellectual and institutional shifts that justified exceptional measures while shaping long-term political trajectories. The book situates debates about emergency powers within broader questions of legitimacy, rights, and state power in the twentieth century. It is intended for scholars and students of history, political theory, and international relations interested in the intersections of liberalism and security.