What Can Mongolia Learn from the Experiences of Other Democratic Countries That Have Set Up Systems for Defense Policy Planning

摘要

Around the world, the defense policies and security priorities of all countries require periodic review and revision to reflect the ever-changing political environment. The end of the Cold War and the initiation of the War on Terrorism are two examples of grand political change that necessitated defense policy review and revision; it is uncertain as to what future world event will precipitate such policy changes. For established democracies defense policy planning is difficult, and for new democracies the challenge is even greater. Instead of adopting another country's defense policy or structure directly, the new democratic country must devise a policy that is appropriate for its individual defense needs and interests. This thesis compares the defense policy planning processes of three democratic countries. The United States is the model for defense policy planning in an established democracy and Estonia and Mongolia serve as examples of newly democratic countries that are in the process of developing a defense policy. The thesis will attempt to answer the following question: What lessons can Mongolia learn from the experiences of other democratic countries that have already set up systems for defense policy planning. Since the defense policy planning process is a broad area of study, the thesis will focus on the key actors in the planning process and their responsibilities, and on defense policy documents at the national level (e.g., the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and National Military Strategy).