1. Defining U.S. Strategic Resourcing Culture

The study of armed conflict has been an ongoing subject of academic and professional interest for centuries. Yet, as noted in the preface to this book, many of these accounts focused on the strategic, operational, and tactical details of a particular conflict without referencing in sufficient detail the preparations made in advance and sometimes during the war to ensure eventual victory. Even the most respected military theorist of all time, Carl von Clausewitz, largely ignored the impact of economics and finance on armed conflict, concentrating instead on the strategic (ends) and operational (ways) aspects of war. However, without a thorough understanding of the importance of resource management (means), conflict analysis remains incomplete. With this in mind, it is critical that any such analysis consider all factors in assessing the eventual outcome of a particular armed conflict. This chapter presents one model for conducting this type of assessment through a brief analysis of the political, economic, and military factors affecting the conduct of war, focusing specifically on the armed conflicts of the United States.