Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/149719 
Year of Publication: 
2014
Series/Report no.: 
CHOPE Working Paper No. 2014-07
Publisher: 
Duke University, Center for the History of Political Economy (CHOPE), Durham, NC
Abstract: 
Milton Friedman was the leading public proponent for an all-volunteer military. This chapter traces his influence upon the national debate over conscription, which culminated in Friedman's service on the Gates Commission. Friedman's argument relied on economic reasoning and appeal to cost-benefit analysis. Central was his conjecture that the social cost of the draft, which imposed an "implicit tax" on draftees, exceeded that of the all-volunteer military. This was supported by the work of Walter Oi. Friedman's position attracted support both within the conservative movement and from across the political landscape, allowing Friedman to form coalitions with prominent individuals otherwise in disagreement with his politics. With the social context ripened by the draft and the Vietnam War, Friedman's argument echoed in influential circles, reaching policymakers in Washington and Martin Anderson on the Nixon advising team. The successful institution of the all-volunteer armed force reflected Friedman's intellectual entrepreneurship.
Subjects: 
Military draft
conscription
all-volunteer armed force
Gates Commission
Vietnam War
implicit tax
Walter Oi
Martin Anderson
JEL: 
B20
B31
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.