A new shock-and-awe movie might sharpen public concern about American vulnerability to nuclear attack and defense against it. The fictional ”House of Dynamite” shows United States leaders trying to respond to a single bolt-from-the-blue strike. Missile defense fails. The movie could spur real-world interest in better protection.

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William Courtney is an adjunct senior fellow at RAND and professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He was deputy negotiator in the U.S.-Soviet Defense and Space Talks (on missile defense) and ambassador in negotiations to implement...

Peter A. Wilson currently teaches a course on the history of military technological innovation for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. He is an adjunct senior national security researcher at RAND.