Question

How did the end of the Cold War most clearly affect the military-industrial complex? A. Businesses that had been building weapons quickly changed to building consumer goods, such as cars. B. Government military spending declined somewhat, so the arms industry was less profitable. C. Congress voted to end the practice of allowing candidates to accept donations from arms manufacturers. D. The government bought companies related to the arms industry, nationalizing weapons manufacturing.​

Answer 1

Answer: D

Explanation: After the end of the Cold War, the US military-industrial complex was only temporarily affected by a reduction in defense spending, following arms disarmament treaties and given the weakening of the Soviet threat. In 2000, a decade after the end of the Cold War, the GDP percentage of defense spending was only 3.7%, a historic low. Nevertheless, US military expenditures have been growing in the last decades. They started to grow again after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The federal defense budget for 2019 is $716 billion.