WHO MAKES WEAPONS PROCUREMENT DECISIONS - A TEST OF THE SUBSYSTEM MODEL OF POLICY-MAKING

Despite the absence of scientific support for a tripartite alliance in defense policymaking, political scientists and the general public con tinue to subscribe to a subgovernment explanation. This article addres ses the subgovernment dilemma as it applies to the area of weapons pro curement. More precisely, it asks whether the subgovernment model accu rately describes and adequately explains the decisions to develop and build major weapons systems. In answering this question, the critical assumptions or propositions that comprise the model are tested, relyin g upon published research and original data drawn from 19 cases of mil itary hardware decisions. The findings do lend some qualified support for a military subgovernment.