ABSTRACT
This book employs a broad definition of nuclear weapons policy to encompass nuclear force structure, the nuclear weapons production complex that supports it, operational targeting doctrine, and the political decisions and rationales that have affected and to an extent defined these elements of policy. It is based on a large body of research on the evolution of America’s nuclear weapons policy from 1990 to 2007 that has examined statements by leading policy-makers and legislators and official reports from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, White House, State Department, Strategic Command, and Congress, together with examination of material changes to nuclear forces, the nuclear weapons production complex, and policy decisions.
