However, the influence of expenditures on military capabilities is expected to be
contingent on regime type. Democratic leaders, to whom Huntington was making
suggestions, will be more likely to dedicate military expenditures to provide the
public good of national security. The primary driver of this distinction is
transparency, as third parties like the media and think tanks will keep a watchful eye
on military policy (Pilster and Bo¨hmelt, forthcoming). Democratic leaders may have
the incentive to use military expenditures as a patronage resource, but the inherent
restraints that accompany transparency will keep these efforts to a minimum. A lack
of such constraints gives authoritarian leaders considerable freedom in defense
spending and two major trends have been noted in the squandering of military financial
resources.