In 2004 a bid to reinstate the military draft failed in the House of Representatives by 400 votes. Even so, Tim Kane writes, “the issue will likely be considered again, especially if there are more terrorist attacks on the U.S."

Proponents of the draft often justify their support by claiming that military service is unjust. As Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY), the sponsor of the 2004 bill, wrote in 2002, “A disproportionate number of the poor and members of minority groups make up the enlisted ranks of the military, while most privileged Americans are underrepresented or absent.”

The evidence, however, does not support that claim. Kane examines the demographic composition of enlisted recruits and finds that “the volunteer force is already equitable.” Moreover, he concludes, “It is highly likely that reinstating the draft would erode military effectiveness, increase American fatalities, destroy personal freedom, and even produce a less socio-economically ‘privileged’ military in the process.”

---

Read Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Military Recruits Before and After 9/11 by Tim Kane, Ph.D.

The House’s Deficit Reduction Act contains $53.9 billion in budget savings over the next five years. Among other things, reconciliation bills are a way for Congress to reduce spending on mandatory programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. These types of programs are normally allowed to grow on autopilot every year.

Nicaragua’s 15-year experiment with electoral democracy is collapsing. Leaders who control the dominant Liberal and Sandinista Party factions in the National Assembly are seeking to oust or isolate legit­imately elected President Enrique Bolaños. If they succeed, the presidency could be so weakened that one party—the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)—would be able to dominate all three branches of government, even though that is not the will of the people.