Civil Military Relations

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

The study of civil-military relations focuses on a simple puzzle: how can we have a military that is strong enough to do what civilian leaders want it to do but subordinate enough to only do what civilians authorize them to do? A military that is strong enough to defend the state from its external enemies is also strong enough to seize power so as to rule for itself. But if the military is kept small and weak so it does not pose a threat to society, will it be strong enough to carry out national security policy? This course wrestles with that fundamental question and examines the theories, policies, historical case studies, and contemporary challenges that shape civilian control of the armed forces and civil-military relations in the United States.