| This project was pursued in order to garner an understanding of South Carolina Department of Defense contractors since 9/11, in the hopes that South Carolina's defense industry is somewhat of a microcosm of the defense industry as a whole. The study compares and contrasts knowledge on the military-industrial complex and the state of affairs in defense contracting in South Carolina.;I found, in the course of my study, that the nature of defense contracting in South Carolina is not diametrically opposed to the notions that are presented in much of the literature on defense contracting and the military-industrial complex. The defense industry in South Carolina is not a sinister war-making machine, but is part of an interdependent complex of actors, pursuing varied interests and objectives, that ultimately creates an environment that requires the perpetuation of said defense industry. That being said, there are many positive aspects to South Carolina's defense industry, which will also be revealed and discussed here.;This project is pursued as follows: (1) an introduction to the subject, (2) a survey of academic literature that addresses the nature of defense procurement and the military-industrial complex, (3) a demonstration of numbers associated with defense contracting in South Carolina since 9/11, (4) a section profiling several South Carolina defense contractors and their perspectives on defense procurement in the state, and finally, (5) a conclusion about the subject matter and a summary of my personal navigation through, and reconciliation with, conventional wisdom about the military-industrial complex. |
