Congress and civil-military relations

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Bibliographic Information

Congress and civil-military relations

Colton C. Campbell and David P. Auerswald, editors

Georgetown University Press, c2015

  • : pbk

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Includes bibliographical references and index

"International affairs/political science"--Backcover

Description and Table of Contents

Description

While the president is the commander in chief, the US Congress plays a critical and underappreciated role in civil-military relations - the relationship between the armed forces and the civilian leadership that commands it. This unique book edited by Colton C. Campbell and David P. Auerswald will help readers better understand the role of Congress in military affairs and national and international security policy. Contributors include the most experienced scholars in the field as well as practitioners and innovative new voices, all delving into the ways Congress attempts to direct the military. This book explores four tools in particular that play a key role in congressional action: the selection of military officers, delegation of authority to the military, oversight of the military branches, and the establishment of incentives - both positive and negative - to encourage appropriate military behavior. The contributors explore the obstacles and pressures faced by legislators including the necessity of balancing national concerns and local interests, partisan and intraparty differences, budgetary constraints, the military's traditional resistance to change, and an ongoing lack of foreign policy consensus at the national level. Yet, despite the considerable barriers, Congress influences policy on everything from closing bases to drone warfare to acquisitions. A groundbreaking study, Congress and Civil-Military Relations points the way forward in analyzing an overlooked yet fundamental government relationship.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Congress and Civil-Military RelationsDavid P. Auerswald and Colton C. Campbell Part One: Congressional Tools and Civil-Military Relations2. Presidential and Congressional Relations: An Evolution of Military Appointments Mitchel A. Sollenberger3. A Safety Valve: The Truman's Committee Oversight during World War IIKatherine Scott4. The Political, Policy, and Oversight Roles of Congressional Defense CommissionsJordan Tama 5. Congress and "Their Military": Delegating to the Reserve ComponentsJohn Griswold6. Legislating "Military Entitlements": A Challenge to the Congressional Abdication ThesisAlexis Lasselle Ross Part Two: Parochial Versus National Interests7. Defense and the Two Congresses: Changes in the Policy-Parochialism BalanceChuck Cushman 8. Congress and New Ways of WarCharles A. Stevenson9. Closing Guantanamo: A Presidential Commitment UnfulfilledLouis Fisher10.Congress and Civil-Military Relations in Latin America and the Caribbean: Human Rights as a VehicleFrank O. Mora and Michelle Munroe11. Conclusion: The Future of Civil-Military RelationsDavid P. Auerswald and Colton C. CampbellList of ContributorsIndex

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