The Politics of Military Bases

Abstract

Military bases have always been complicated as a policy area, with the demands of national security policy and military strategy often at odds with local and state interests and constituent demands upon elected officials. Over the course of more than 200 years, the domestic military basing structure has changed and adapted, often the result of a compendium of factors including shifting military strategies, technological advances, differing alliances, and the changing demographics and constituent desires within a given area or region. The Executive and Legislative branches have both been intimately involved in the military base decision-making process, both in determining where to establish bases and also in the process to select bases for closure or realignment. Over the past thirty years, the issue of base closures has become even more acutely political and, ultimately, led to the creation of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) as a successful method to select bases for closure and realignment while also compelling Congress and the President to comply with those decisions.