Most national security debates concern the outcomes of policies, neglecting the means by which those policies are implemented. This book argues that although the U.S. military is the finest fighting force in the world, the system that supports it is in disrepair. Operating with Cold War-era structures and practices, it is subject to managerial and organizational problems that increasingly threaten our military's effectiveness. "Keeping the Edge" goes beyond questions of Pentagon reorganization and weapons procurement to explore how the U.S. defense establishment can improve its readiness, logistics, and ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. It also looks at how the U.S. military can exploit information technology more effectively, improve its intelligence, and counter asymmetric threats. More comprehensive than the usual exhortation to cut waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon, the book in fact recommends changes in many government agencies, not just the Department of Defense. It shows how the U.S. can improve its ability to implement its policies and to anticipate and adapt to a changing and uncertain world.

"A publication of the Preventive Defense Project, a research collaboration of the Kennedy School of Government Harvard University and Stanford University"--T.p.

Keeping the edge: managing defense for the future / Ashton B. Carter -- Keeping the edge in joint operations / John M. Shalikashvili ... [et al.] -- Exploiting the internet revolution / Victor A. DeMarines with David Lehman and John Quilty -- Keeping the edge in intelligence / Robert J. Hermann -- Countering asymmetric threats / Ashton B. Carter, William J. Perry and David Aidekman -- Keeping the technological edge / Ashton B. Carter, Marcel Lettre and Shane Smith -- Advancing the revolution in business affairs / Michael J. Lippitz ... [et al.] -- Ensuring quality people in defense / David S.C. Chu ... [et al.] -- Managing the Pentagon's international relations / Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Christiana Briggs and Anja Miller -- Strengthening the national security interagency process / John Deutch ... [et al.] -- Implementing change / Judith A. Miller.