He has previously served as Director of Defense Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, as Principal Defense Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, as an investigator dealing with national security and intelligence for the Government Accountability Office, and on a House Committee on Foreign Affairs special investigation of allegations that the U.S. sold weapons to Iraq prior to 1991.

He has also written essays, including forty-five in-depth studies on national security issues,[2] and numerous popular articles.

In the book, he rated 40 US presidents on the basis of whether or not their policies promoted peace, prosperity, and liberty during their tenures; John Tyler and Grover Cleveland were ranked the two strongest, while Harry Truman and Woodrow Wilson came in last.

[3] Eland continues to strongly oppose the 2003 invasion of Iraq,[4] and called George W. Bush's presidency "one of the worst of all time."

[5] Eland supports the National Rifle Association of America (NRA); he is a critic of the Affordable Care Act and race-based affirmative action.