Civilian Control of the Military Establishment

Abstract

With the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization ACt of 1986, the principle of civilian control of the military establishment again came under debate in both civilian and military circles. The focus on 'jointness' and a powerful Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff caused concern. Has Congress gone too far in asserting its constitutional role with the military? This study seeks to review the intent of the Founding Fathers in 1787 as they drafted the Constitution, to analyze the changes that two hundred years of civilian control have made on the military establishment, to assess the current health of this principle, and to forecast the future of civilian control of the military. The people of the United States have the right to know how well the executive and legislative branches of government are upholding their constitutional responsibilities and to know whether this democratic principle is somehow jeopardized by our military establishment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 02, 1990
Accession Number
ADA223340

Entities

People

  • Kevin T. Hanretta

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Law
  • Lessons Learned
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Military Strategy
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Nations
  • Political Systems
  • Procurement
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Strategic Security Studies