National and Homeland Security

Barack Obama (D)

Obama notes developments in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and efforts to defeat al-Qaeda. He also emphasizes the START Treaty with Russia, which “will reduce the number of nuclear weapons deployed by Russia and the United States and allow the United States to resume inspection of Russian nuclear sites.”

Mitt Romney (R)

Romney says he "will restore the three foundations of American power: strong values, a strong economy, and a strong military.”

Romney identifies five main threats to US national security:

1. Countries with "rising ambitions," such as China and Russia

2. Radical Islamic Jihadism

3. The struggle for the greater Middle East

4. "Failed and failing states" such as Somalia, Pakistan, and Yemen

5. "Rogue nations" such as Cuba, Iran, and North Korea

In order to combat these threats “a Romney administration will apply the full spectrum of hard and soft power to influence events before they erupt into conflict.” Romney proposes exercising leadership in multilateral organizations and alliances. He would also carry out a series of actions in his first 100 days including increasing the Navy shipbuilding rate, committing to a robust national missile defense system, conducting a full review of the US transition in Afghanistan, and the creating an interagency cybersecurity initiative. Romney would enact a defense spending floor of 4 percent of the GDP and modernize and replace aging military inventories.