Cincotta, Henry. [10] In Mao's theory, the military—which serves both as a symbol of the revolution and an instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat—is not merely expected to defer to the direction of the ruling non-uniformed Party members (who today exercise control in the People's Republic of China through the Central Military Commission), but also to actively participate in the revolutionary political campaigns of the Maoist era. Sorry, but copying text is forbidden on this website. Civilian control of the military is very essential in order to have a strong and successful form of government. Civilian leaders cannot usually hope to challenge their militaries by means of force, and thus must guard against any potential usurpation of powers through a combination of policies, laws, and the inculcation of the values of civilian control in their armed services. He was highly respected and thought to be effective in strategies of counter-insurgency. Some news accounts have attributed the actions of these generals to the Vietnam war experience, in which officers did not speak out against the administration's handling of military action. Given that broad strategic decisions, such as the decision to declare a war, start an invasion, or end a conflict, have a major impact on the citizens of the country, they are seen by civilian control advocates as best guided by the will of the people (as expressed by their political representatives), rather than left solely to an elite group of tactical experts. "Civilian control of the military is a basic principle of the American Con-stitution"; so runs the commonplace. Civilians must direct their nation’s military and make the important decisions on issues of national defense, not because they are in any way intellectually superior than military personnel, but specifically because they are the people’s agent and in being so, are designated with the responsibility for making these decisions and remaining accountable for them (Cincotta). ” Welcome to the NDU Home Page. 13 Aug. 2011. . 13 Aug. 2011. . Civilian Control of the Military. Why Civilian Control Of The Military Essay. Author Biography. 11 Aug. 2011. . Advocates of civilian control generally take a Clausewitzian view of war, emphasizing its political character. The act is often misunderstood to prohibit any use of federal military forces in law enforcement, but this is not the case. The 83 percent disapproval rating was also the worst Gallup had measured in more than 30 years of tracking congressional job performances). The "Revolt of the Admirals" that occurred in 1949 was an attempt by senior US Navy personnel, to force a change in budgets directly opposed to the directives given by the Civilian leadership. General Stanley McCrystal was the commander of troops and operations in Afghanistan. This lose-lose situation was a clear political victory for President Obama. [citation needed] The words of Georges Clemenceau, "War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men" (also frequently rendered as "War is too important to be left to the generals"), wryly reflect this view. Com – Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Government, Politics, Economics, Management . But, one of the most distinguished roles the president of the United States has is the role of Commander-in-Chief of the military. “Defense. McCrystal’s statements in the article were not flattering of the president to say the least; his comments were viewed as offensive and belittling to President Obama, Vice-President Biden, as well as the U. S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Consequently, there are dangers to the erosion of civilian control over the military. U.S. President Bill Clinton faced frequent allegations throughout his time in office (particularly after the Battle of Mogadishu) that he was ignoring military goals out of political and media pressure—a phenomenon termed the "CNN effect". Former rampant hostility toward the armed services during the Vietnam era, as well as periods earlier in American history, has faded. An example of that is Nigeria, where the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida (1985–93) initially promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990, pushed that deadline back to 1992 after a coup attempt, and then annulled the presidential elections of 1993. It is the thesis of this article that the (liche could hardly be more inaccurate, for actually the American Constitution in the twentieth century obstructs the achievement of civilian control. These concerns drove American military policy for the first century and a half of the country's existence. Its loyalty is to the larger principles of the nation, to the rule of law, and to the doctrine of democracy itself. During his tenure, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld raised the ire of the military by attempting to reform its structure away from traditional infantry and toward a lighter, faster, more technologically driven force. S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 2 – The U. S. Constitution Online – USConstitution. our expert writers, Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample, Hi, my name is Jenn Although no active military officers have spoken out against Rumsfeld, the actions of these officers is still highly unusual. 12 Aug. 2011. . ” Hence, the civilian chain of command has ultimate military authority. A state's effective use of force is an issue of great concern for all national leaders, who must rely on the military to supply this aspect of their authority. Civilian control is often seen as a prerequisite feature of a stable liberal democracy. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. The reverse situation, where professional military officers control national politics, is called a military dictatorship. "Domestic Use of the Armed Forces to Maintain Law and Order – posse comitatus Pitfalls at the Inauguration of the 44th President", This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 15:33. For example, the President has explicit authority under the Constitution and federal law to use federal forces or federalized militias to enforce the laws of the United States. S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 8 – The U. S. Constitution Online – USConstitution. When they wrote the Constitution they divided the responsibilities for the military, strongly placing the responsibilities in civilian hands. Most importantly, no single branch of government ought to have control over any single aspect of governing. Hamilton and Madison thus had two major concerns: (1) the detrimental effect on liberty and democracy of a large standing army and (2) the ability of an unchecked legislature or executive to take the country to war precipitously. 11 Aug. 2011. . net. A more invasive method, most famously practiced in the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China, involves active monitoring of the officer corps through the appointment of political commissars, posted parallel to the uniformed chain of command and tasked with ensuring that national policies are carried out by the armed forces. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. Constant apprehension of War, has the same tendency to render the head too large for the body. The implication was that control of a large military force is, at best, difficult and expensive, and at worst invites war and division. The Official Home of the Department of Defense . But it also plants the seeds of another civil-military relations paradox. Strong democratic control of the military is a prerequisite for membership in NATO. Later in the year, immediately after the November elections in which the Democrats gained control of the Congress, Rumsfeld resigned. The military must understand its role in a democracy. “U. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/civilian-control-of-the-military/, This is just a sample. ” Gallup. Article II, Section 2 states, “The President shall be the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual Service of the United States. Precision-guided munitions and real-time videoconferencing with field commanders now allow the civilian leadership to intervene even at the tactical decision-making level, designating particular targets for destruction or preservation based on political calculations or the counsel of non-uniformed advisors. He keenly communicates, “There is no more important question facing a state than the place of its military relative to civil society and the roles that the military exercises. The act's primary purpose is to prevent local law enforcement officials from utilizing federal forces in this way by forming a "posse" consisting of federal Soldiers or Airmen.[9]. As noted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Richard H. Kohn, "civilian control is not a fact but a process". Conflicting Indicators of “Crisis” in American Civil-Military Relations. The purpose of the military is to defend society, not to define it.[2]. Mao Zedong stated that "Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party," reflecting the primacy of the Communist Party of China (and communist parties in general) as decision-makers in Marxist–Leninist and Maoist theories of democratic centralism.[1]. 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