Civil-Military Relations and Partisanship in the Armed Forces

April 17, 2023 00:57:39
Civil-Military Relations and Partisanship in the Armed Forces
Social Science of War
Civil-Military Relations and Partisanship in the Armed Forces

Apr 17 2023 | 00:57:39

/

Show Notes

Since Samuel Huntington introduce the concept of objective control in his 1957 book The Soldier and the State, it has been the model of civil-military relations taught most widely in US professional military education. And yet the concept is not without critics. This episode features a fascinating discussion about civil-military relations, using Huntington’s model as a starting point before exploring topics such as partisanship in the military, what role service members should play in public discourse, and how to establish oversight over a military that is widely regarded as one of the most trusted institutions in American society. Host Kyle Atwell is joined by three guests for the discussion: Dan Helmer, a delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates and Army lieutenant colonel who teaches in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point; Major Michael Robinson, a recent assistant professor in the Social Sciences Department at West Point and author of Dangerous Instrument: Political Polarization and US Civil-Military Relations; and Dr. Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute who has served in the State Department, in the Defense Department, and on the National Security Council and coedited, with General Jim Mattis, the book Warriors and Citizens: American View of Our Military.

Other Episodes

Episode

January 09, 2023 00:45:27
Episode Cover

Army Service and Talent Management in the All-Volunteer Era

This episode of Social Science of War examines a range of issues related to Army talent management—from the ways in which service in the...

Listen

Episode

July 02, 2024 01:00:18
Episode Cover

US Alliances Politics in the Indo-Pacific

Optimists argue that alliances are a source of strength for American foreign policy, lending significant advantage over competitors like China. Skeptics argue that the...

Listen

Episode

June 18, 2024 00:39:21
Episode Cover

The Harding Project and Army Professional Writing

Last September, the Harding Project launched with the objective of renewing professional writing in the US Army. A priority of General Randy George, the...

Listen