Regan argues that the militarization of a society is a complex political and sociological phenomenon, that can generate a life of its own and that feeds upon itself. Regan combines a statistical and a historical approach with an empirical analysis to serve as the basis for the development of a theory of the power of political symbolism. He examines the extent to which a violent foreign policy and societal militarization are part of a self-amplifying feedback cycle. At a time when permanent and substantial demilitarization are possible, his study reveals the factors that serve to sustain high levels of military mobilization and suggests the keys for defusing them.