The End of Overkill? Reassessing U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy

The End of Overkill? Reassessing U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy

Author: Cato Institute October 15, 2013 Duration: 1:31:46
President Obama recently voiced his ambition to reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal to as few as 1,000 deployed warheads. Yet while the United States has cut the arsenal's size greatly since the Cold War's end, its missions and composition have barely changed. Around 1,600 deployed nuclear weapons remain tied to a triad of systems — bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles — that are designed for preemptive strikes against enemy arsenals. Current plans call for modernizing all three systems, which could cost taxpayers over $100 billion. A new Cato White Paper — The End of Overkill? Reassessing U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy — argues for getting rid of the triad by basing U.S. nuclear weapons exclusively on submarines. It explains how the triad came from bureaucratic compromises, not strategic necessity; punctures the myths that sustained it; and shows how its burden on taxpayers is increasingly unjustified.

Please join us for a discussion of these issues at a forum featuring the paper's authors and two leading experts on U.S. nuclear policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Step inside the Cato Institute's renowned Washington, D.C. events without leaving your desk. The Cato Event Podcast brings the lecture hall and briefing room directly to you, featuring unfiltered audio from live policy forums, author discussions, and Capitol Hill briefings. Each episode captures the substance of these gatherings, where scholars, policymakers, and leading thinkers engage in detailed conversations about liberty, governance, and current affairs. You'll hear substantive debates and thoughtful commentary that cut through the noise of daily headlines, offering deeper analysis on the issues shaping legislation and public discourse. This isn't a produced studio show; it's a front-row seat to the kind of candid exchanges that happen when experts gather to challenge conventional wisdom. The Cato Institute, through this podcast, provides a direct conduit to these discussions, emphasizing a perspective rooted in individual freedom, limited government, and free markets. Tune in for a raw, intellectual experience that goes beyond soundbites, perfect for anyone who wants to understand the foundational ideas behind today's political news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 102

Cato Event Podcast
Podcast Episodes
NATO 2025 Summit: Rebalancing the Transatlantic Relationship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:15
NATO member states will gather June 24–26 in the Netherlands for the 2025 NATO Summit. This comes as NATO member states’ disparate interests, competing priorities, and varying perspectives on the future of Ukraine threat…
What Is the Opportunity Cost of State AI Policy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
Proposals to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) at the state level continue to increase. Unfortunately, these proposals could potentially disrupt advances in this important technology, even if there is strong federal…
Competencies in Civil Discourse: Episode 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:27
In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, Erec Smith speaks with attorney Kaitlin Puccio, Director at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights. They discuss the ethical foundations of human dignity, bioet…
Competencies in Civil Discourse: Ep 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:42
In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, I speak with Chris Bush and Joia Houheneka, the co-founders of 1776 Forward and hosts of the Free Speech Forward Podcast. 1776 Forward is a for-profit organization dedi…
A Conversation with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R‑NC) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:00
One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prep…
Educational Freedom: Have We Hit Escape Velocity? Is That Good? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:24
One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prep…
Parental Rights: What Do They Include? Where Do They End? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:56
One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prep…