• preventive measures such as securing nuclear materials abroad and participating in multi-lateral diplomatic and peacekeeping operations;
• homeland security such as providing port security and coordinating emergency first responders; and
• the military

Currently, federal spending on these three strategies is heavily weighted toward military operations. In fiscal year 2005, as shown in the graph, almost nine dollars was spent on the military for every dollar spent on all other non-military security tools combined.

In order to better understand how our tax dollars are spent within and beyond our borders, this section of our website offers a wealth of information about spending on the three strategies outlined above as well as related topics.

You can click on a map to find out where our dollars go around the world, view graphs to see spending comparisons between the U.S. and other countries, or find out how much homeland security spending goes to your state. You can also read short briefs in the making connections section to learn more about national security terms and their definitions, or read more about an alternative national security proposal that would create better and more cost-effective security.