The Cost of Being In-between: War, Peace, and Trade Management in Jefferson's Second Administration, 1805-9

consideration for a country when it considers the "costs" of warfare or supporting peace efforts? The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that extended participation in military operations plays a role in the overall "health" of U.S. servicemembers and the nation as a whole. American servicemembers who participate in multiple deployments are more likely to experience and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, poor emotional and physical health, addiction, suicide, divorce, disrupted personal finances and bankruptcy, homelessness, and disassociation from family and friends. 3 This reality shows that, in addition to the multitude of costs for the nation-state in terms of finances, there are also personal costs to individuals who serve in the armed forces. The collection of articles that follows serves only as an introduction to this wide-ranging topic and offers a brief look at historical and contemporary forays into the economics of defense that will likely play out in the near future.