Todd Harrison
Senior Fellow, Defense Budget Studies
Areas of Expertise
Defense Budgets, Military Compensation, Portfolio Management, Systems Engineering, Military Space Systems, Defense Acquisitions and Defense Industrial Base
Biography
Todd Harrison is the Senior Fellow for Defense Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Mr. Harrison joined CSBA in 2009 from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he supported clients across the Department of Defense, assessing challenges to modernization initiatives and evaluating the performance of acquisition programs. He previously worked in the aerospace industry developing advanced space systems and technologies and served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
Since joining CSBA, Mr. Harrison has authored a number of publications on trends in the overall defense budget, modernization initiatives, the defense industrial base, military personnel costs, and the cost of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. He frequently contributes to print and broadcast media and has appeared on CNBC, CNN, NPR, Al Jazeera English, and Fox News. He has been a guest lecturer for a number of organizations, including Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the U.S. Army's School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and the National Defense University.
He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with both a B.S. and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Mr. Harrison combines his budgetary, programmatic and engineering experience with a strong background in systems analysis to lead the Budget Studies program for CSBA. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Author Bibliography for Todd Harrison
How Can the Defense Department Prepare for Sequestration?
December 3, 2012 • By Todd Harrison • Analysis
Todd Harrison goes on Bloomberg Television’s Bottom Line to talk sequestration, the fiscal cliff and his recent report Strategic Choices: Navigating Austerity.
Strategic Choices: Navigating Austerity
November 27, 2012 • By Todd Harrison and Mark Gunzinger • Studies
The report is based on the insights developed through a series of exercises that CSBA conducted during the summer of 2012. The exercises sought to inform the debate on the way defense resources are allocated in light of declining budgets, the evolving threat environment and the changing DoD’s priorities.
The Effects of Competition on Defense Acquisitions
October 19, 2012 • By Todd Harrison • Analysis
As defense acquisition costs have soared over the past decade, efforts at reforming the acquisition system have focused intensely on creating more opportunities for competition as a means to reduce…
U.S. Defense and the 2012 Presidential Election
September 10, 2012 • By Todd Harrison • Analysis
Following the Republican and Democratic national conventions, the fall electoral season kicks into high gear. Among the many issues being debated are those focused on U.S. defense: How would the…
How Big Should the Defense Budget Be?
September 9, 2012 • By Todd Harrison • Analysis
Use reasoned judgment, not artificial measures. Using a percentage of G.D.P. or past spending levels would set the budget with little regard for what is needed or what we can afford.