New geopolitical realities -- including terrorism, pandemics, rogue nuclear states, resource conflicts, insurgencies, mass migration, economic collapse, and cyber attacks -- have created a dramatically different national-security environment for America. Twentieth-century defense strategies, technologies, and industrial practices will not meet the security requirements of a post-9/11 world. In Democracy's Arsenal, Jacques Gansler describes the transformations needed in government and industry to achieve a new, more effective system of national defense. Drawing on his decades of experience in industry, government, and academia, Gansler argues that the old model of ever-increasing defense expenditures on largely outmoded weapons systems must be replaced by a strategy that combines a healthy economy, effective international relations, and a strong (but affordable) national security posture. The defense industry must remake itself to become responsive and relevant to the needs of twenty-first-century security.

雅剋·甘斯勒（Cansler J.S.），國防工業和國防采辦領域的著名專傢，現為美國馬裏蘭大學公共政策學院公共政策與私人企業研究中心，斯隆生物技術工業中心主任。曾任馬裏蘭大學公共政策學院院長（2003—2004）和主管科研的副校長（2004-2006）。他是美國國傢工程院院士、國傢公共管理科學院院士，是陸軍部長任命的“陸軍采購和項目管理委員會”主席，也是美國國防科學委員會（Defense ScienceBoard）委員。1997年11月至2001年1月，雅剋·甘斯勒曾任美國國防部副部長（負責采辦、技術與後勤），統管美國的武器裝備科研生産、采購、後勤保障、采辦製度改革、先進技術探索、核生化項目和國防工業基礎等。在此之前，他是美國一傢信息技術股份有限公司TASC的執行副總裁和企業總監，並曾任美國國防部助理副部長（負責物資采辦）以及國防科研與工程項目助理總監（負責國防電子研發）。