Silent Coup of the Guardians
The Influence of U.S. Military Elites on National Security
- 280 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Silent Coup of the Guardians
The Influence of U.S. Military Elites on National Security
About This Book
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 guardiansâAmerica's military elitesâincreasingly 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.
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Table of contents
- Front Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Disclaimer
- List of Acronyms
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter One: Military Elites and Praetorian Propensities
- Chapter Two: Genesis of the Guardians
- Chapter Three: The Scholarly Road Map
- Chapter Four: Military Elites as an Epistemic Community
- Chapter Five: The Role and Influence of Military Elites
- Chapter Six: Conclusions
- Appendix A: Sample Population
- Appendix B: Wave One
- Appendix C: Wave Two
- Appendix D: Interview Methodology
- Appendix E: Military Elite Conceptual Attributes and Theoretical Implications
- Appendix F: Analysis of the National Security Strategies of the United States
- References
- Index
- Back Cover