ABSTRACT
On August 6, 1969, after the most searching congressional examination of any weapons program since World War II, the United States Senate approved the deployment of an Antiballistic Missile System by a one-vote margin. Concerning weapons policies, analysts differ considerably in their assessment of the role of Congress since 1969. Contrasting congressional treatment of the defense budget during 1945–67 with 1968–74, Laurance demonstrates in quantitative terms how congressional involvement has changed. Congress also created two new organizations to provide in-depth analyses of various weapons systems-the Office of Technology Assessment and the Congressional Budget Office. Congress was most actively involved in these arms negotiations after it was called on to ratify an already concluded treaty. The 1969 ABM debate led many members of Congress to believe that henceforth they would play a consistently more active role in formulating arms control policies. Many of the constitutional and political considerations just enumerated with regard to arms negotiations have not pertained to weapons policy.
