A selection of revised papers originally presented at the Second Conference on Political Economy, held Oct. 22-23, 1987, at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. Includes bibliographical references and index.

A selection of revised papers originally presented at the Second Conference on Political Economy, held Oct. 22-23, 1987, at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.

The political economy of U.S. defense / William A. Niskanen -- Fifty years of arms, politics and the economy / Robert Higgs -- Baruch, the New Deal and the origins of the military-industrial complex / Jordan A. Schwarz -- Public goods, politics, and two cheers for the military-industrial complex / Dwight R. Lee -- National defense and the public-goods problem / Jeffrey Rogers Hummel, Don Lavoie -- Blue ribbon defense commissions: acquisition of major weapon systems / William E. Kovacic. Public regulation of the weapons acquisition process / William E. Kovacic -- Models of arms transfer in American foreign policy: Carter's restraint and Reagan's promotion, 1977-1987 / Ilan Peleg -- Contributions to federal election campaigns by government contractors / Frank R. Lichtenberg -- Congress and the defense budget / James M. Lindsay -- Patterns of congressional influence in defense contracting / Kenneth R. Mayer -- Department of Defense attempts to close military bases: political economy of congressional resistance / Charlotte Twight.