Silent Coup of the Guardians

The Influence of US Military Elites on National Security
Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7006-3398-2
Verlag: University Press of Kansas

Buch, Englisch, 280 Seiten, Hardback, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm

Growing political radicalization and polarization in American government has created a scarcity of civilian leadership, knowledge, expertise, and power. Political rivals and adversaries, too busy combating each other, have abandoned the helm of the ship of state, setting reason, compromise, intellectual curiosity, and effective governing adrift. A faction of exceptionally capable and influential guardians—America’s military elites—increasingly fill roles in civil society and government intended for competent, democratically elected or political appointed civilian leadership accountable to the American electorate.Todd Schmidt demonstrates that US military elites play an exceptionally powerful role due to their extraordinary powerful role due to their extraordinary influence over policy process, outcome, and implementation. Through personal interviews with high-ranking national security experts across six presidential administrations, Schmidt concludes that nuanced relationships between military elites, the president, and Congress; decision-making in national security and foreign policy; and the balance of power in civil-military relations suggest a potential trend of praetorian behavior among military elites. A silent coup of the guardians has occurred, and professionals and citizens need to ask what should be done rebalance US civil-military relations.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Militärwesen Verwaltung, Streitkräfte (Militärwesen)
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Staats- und Regierungsformen, Staatslehre
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Verwaltungswissenschaft, Öffentliche Verwaltung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures and TablesAcknowledgmentsDisclaimerList of AcronymsPrefaceIntroduction1. Military Elites and Praetorian Propensities2. Genesis of the Guardians3. The Scholarly Road Map4. Military Elites as an Epistemic Community5. The Role and Influence of Military Elites6. ConclusionsAppendix A: Sample PopulationAppendix B: Wave OneAppendix C: Wave TwoAppendix D: Interview MethodologyAppendix E: Military Elite Conceptual Attributes and Theoretical ImplicationsAppendix F: Analysis of the National Security Strategies of the United StatesReferencesIndex

Über Autor(innen)

Colonel Todd Andrew Schmidt is a US Army Goodpaster Fellow and director of the Army University Press.