In this book, entitled "Military Conscription: an economic analysis of the labour component in the armed forces", military conscription is regarded as an eco­ nomic policy to minimize the cost of labour in the armed forces. The economic cost of conscription becomes clear when we analyse the opportunity costs of conscription. If conscripts were free to choose whether to join the armed forces, many would not under the present day conditions, since for them the costs of conscription far outweighs the benefits. The principle of opportunity costs is always central in the economics of warfare. In this book the analysis begins with an investigation of these oppor­ tunity costs and then uses the results to analyse the formation of an all-volunteer force, which will in fact be achieved, if everything proceeds according to schedule, by 1998. Chapter one concentrates on the structure of the thesis. One of the cor­ nerstones is welfare economics. Welfare economics uses a mechanical view of the state. Translated to military conscription this means that the welfare of the conscript is a central point in the analysis of the economic aspects of military conscription. Also important is the fact that the concept of welfare concentrates on scarcity. Due to conscription the aspects of scarcity of labour in the armed forces are very weak, if not absent.

Inhalt

Economics and Conscription: Conscription and Taxation; The Vision on Society; Welfare Economics and the Welfare of Conscripts; The Structure of This Book and The Research Questions.- The Public Good 'Defense': Defense and Economic Theory; The Monopoly of Violence of the Government; The Organization of the Armed Forces in the Netherlands; Defense, Conscription and the Role of Bureaucrats; Conscription, Voluntary Service and the Role of Public Choice About the Size of the Public Good Defense; Summary.- The History and Existence of Conscription in The Netherlands: The Origin of Military Conscription in the Netherlands; Replacement; The Period after 1870; The Existence of Conscription in a Democratic Environment; Summary.- The Conscription Tax: The Size of the Conscription Tax; The Interrupted Career; The Distribution of the Conscription Tax; The Perception Costs of the Conscription Tax; Final Remarks.- Conscription and The Allocation of Production Factors: Theory; Boredom; Capital-labour Substitution; Military Personnel and Civilians; The Substitution Between Inexperienced and Experienced Personnel; The Need for Personnel in an All-volunteer Force; The Budgetary Consequences of the Transition of a Conscription-force to an All-volunteer Force and the 'Excess Burden' of a Conscription Force; Conclusion.- The Demand for and the Supply of Volunteers: The Supply of Potential Volunteers; The Netherlands and the Execution of UN-Tasks: A Real Suit for the Armed Forces; The Recruitment and Selection Process; The Demand for Professional Military; Final Remarks.- The Interaction Between Society and the Armed Forces: The Officers Corps; The Privatization of Defense; Conclusions and Final Remarks.- The Transformation of A Conscription Force into an All-Volunteer Force: The Choice Between a Conscription Force and an All-Volunteer Force; The Transition of a Conscription Army into an All-Volunteer Force; The Transformation of Centralized Armed Forces into Decentralized Armed Forces; The Mobilizing Forces; The Culture in the Armed Forces; Final Remarks.- Social Conscription: Introduction; Social Conscription: The Theory; Social Conscription: Practical Implications; Conclusions.- Summary.