Baker Weighs in on Biden’s Use of the Defense Production Act to Manage the Economy

June 24, 2022

The Economist

The Hon. James E. Baker

Public Administration & International Affairs Department

Autonomous Systems Policy Institute

Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy & Law

Economic Policy

Government

United States

The Economist

The Hon. James E. Baker

In the past, the Defense Production Act (DPA) was mainly a procurement tool for the armed forces. Under Joe Biden, it is fast becoming a part of the government’s arsenal for managing the economy. The DPA confers a range of powers on the government in the name of national security. Over the years the government has quietly expanded the DPA's authority by redefining national defense in broader terms.

"Given the depth of America’s supply problems today, it is good public policy to test the limits of the DPA, to see what it can accomplish, says the Hon. James E. Baker, professor of public administration and international affairs by courtesy and former legal adviser to the National Security Council.

Read more in The Economist article, "A law meant to boost America’s security becomes industrial policy."