Abstract
The aim of the publication was to analyse political and research and
development conditions for the level of defense spending in the USA. They
are of key importance for shaping the Pentagon military budget in conditions
in which it seems very difficult to grasp the state of threats to which an
‘adequate’ level of financing would be an answer.
The debate on the level of defense expenditures required to ensure
the security of the state is everlasting. There are two decisive elements for
determining defense expenditures. First, political circumstances, both of
internal ones (the Republicans are more inclined to spend more on defense
than the Democrats) and external ones (using military capabilities to keep
hegemonistic position of the United States, including vis-à-vis allies and
adversaries); second, research and development circumstances aimed at
ensuring technological supremacy of the United States in the world and
having positive implications for military and civilian sectors.