United States

The United States invented nuclear weapons, operates the second largest nuclear force in the world and holds the dubious distinction of being the only country to use these weapons in combat. As a result, the U.S. has a special responsibility to lead the way in reducing its own nuclear weapons stockpile and calling for other nuclear armed nations to follow suite. Following is analysis and opinion from Ploughshares Fund staff, grantees and guests on the ongoing struggle to deal with nuclear weapons in the United States.

  • A Credible Number, A Needed Debate

    There is no official number that tells American citizens how much our government is spending on nuclear weapons. In fact, we are not even precisely sure how many nuclear weapons we have.

    November 30, 2011 - By Joe Cirincione

  • "Our Troops Deserve Better"

    $700 billion. That’s what the US is planning to spend on nuclear weapons and related programs over the next decade.

    November 22, 2011 - By Mary Kaszynski

  • Nuclear budget cuts gaining momentum

    Just months ago, nuclear weapons spending was considered untouchable. Now, rumblings from within the Pentagon indicate that the nuclear budget may be up next in the search for savings. When the Pentagon starts talking cuts, you know things are serious.

    November 17, 2011 - By Mary Kaszynski

  • What if the “madman” is us?

    The following is the first in a series of guest posts from graduate students reflecting on the 25th anniversary of Rekyavik. 

    October marked the 25th anniversary of the Reykjavik summit—an unprecedented event that many nuclear disarmament advocates claim brought us close to an agreement between the Cold War superpowers on the drastic disarmament and eventual abolition of nuclear weapons. President Ronald Reagan’s refusal to scrap the U.S. strategic defense initiative (SDI), or “Star Wars,” is said to have been the nail in the coffin for such an agreement at Reykjavik.

    November 15, 2011 - By admin

  • A Primer on Nuclear Threats

    Wonky. Scientific. Complex. Dense.

    November 10, 2011 - By Kelly Bronk

  • Ploughshares Fund Board Goes to Washington

    It’s not always easy to know what’s happening behind the curtain in Washington, DC.

    November 4, 2011 - By admin

  • Michael Douglas: Investing in Smart Diplomacy

    The following is a guest post by Michael Douglas. 

    There are some threats that can’t be solved with military might. That’s exactly why we need smart diplomacy that serves to build international cooperation, increases world stability and furthers our own national security.

    November 3, 2011 - By admin

  • A Tale of Two Victories: New START and DADT

    The passage of major legislation during a lame duck session of Congress is a rare and interesting phenomenon. In the past year, it’s happened twice. In both instances, philanthropy played a vital role in pushing through victories on controversial, long-stalled policy issues.

    October 20, 2011 - By Samara Dun

  • Searching for Cuts, Congress Spars Over Nuclear Weapons

    The following originally appeared as a post on The Atlantic Politics.

    October 13, 2011 - By Joe Cirincione

  • Finding Cents in Common Sense

    The era of unlimited military spending is clearly over. With a huge focus on cutting the budget in all areas of federal spending, 64 Members of Congress are joining forces to highlight the nuclear weapons budget as a prime place for cuts.

    October 11, 2011 - By Anonymous