Arms are very costly, in direct dollars and in indirect impact on the economy. Arms are also very dangerous and add to the tensions that sometimes erupt in violence. During the 1990s, efforts increased to regulate arms. There are heavy domestic pressures from the military-industrial complex and sometimes from the public against arms control. There are a number of ways to implement approaches to arms control, including arms reductions, limits on the expansion of arms inventories, and prohibitions against conventional arms transfers and nuclear proliferation.
Some people favor trying to achieve security through various international security schemes.
Collective security, peacekeeping, and peacemaking are among the most significant attempts of an international security effort. The most likely focus of this approach would be the United Nations with a greatly strengthened security mandate and with security forces sufficient to engage in peacemaking, rather than just peacekeeping. Abolition of war is a fourth approach to security. One way to avoid war is through general and complete disarmament. This makes violence difficult and may also ease tensions that lead to violence.