Explain the importance of the military-industrial complex.

Students' answers may vary.
Cold War expansion of the military was furthered by the growth of the military-industrial complex .Coined by President Eisenhower, the term refers to the potentially dangerous influence of the political alliance between the Pentagon and the corporations that manufacture its arms.Expensive new weapons systems are mutually rewarding to the armed forces and to companies, especially in such fields as aircraft, electronics, and shipbuilding, for which defense contracts can bring in billions of dollars a year in guaranteed sales.Defense contractors thus place their financial muscle and lobbying resources behind Pentagon budget requests.