Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) Information

CSBA is an independent policy research institute established to promote innovative thinking and debate on national security strategy and investment options. CSBA’s goal is to enable policymakers to make informed decisions on matters of strategy, security policy, and resource allocation. Since the mid-1990s CSBA has provided a consistent stream of high-quality, innovative research on defense strategy, budgets, and the security environment. From examining the ongoing revolution in military affairs to identifying how the United States should adapt its armed forces to meet emerging challenges, CSBA has been on the cutting edge of the nation’s most critical defense policy debates. CSBA has also consistently stressed the need to link national objectives and resources, because how wisely the United States invests its defense dollars is as important as how much it spends. CSBA’s in-depth research employs historical case studies, scenarios, workshops that bring together subject-matter experts and seminar-style planning exercises to better understand the future security environment and to identify plausible options for enhancing global and regional stability. Moreover, CSBA’s ability to put a “price tag” on these options through its budget assessments is invaluable in an era of declining defense resources and growing federal deficits.