Resource Allocation and Military Budgetary Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa

While scholars have tried to explain the variation in spending by African countries on conventional forces or auxiliary forces, no study has been done that compares the resource allocation process for both. Governments elect to spend more money on conventional forces when faced with military conflicts as opposed to potential threats. By contrast, interstate conflicts suppress spending on irregular forces. The best predictor of state spending on auxiliary organizations involves domestic factors such as the existence of a civilian government. The most surprising finding is that spending on conventional and auxiliary forces is not always an "either/or" decision.