Governing the Military

How do elected governments deal with the military in the long term after authoritarianism? Today democracies all over the world are experiencing the unavoidable clashes of power between public authorities and those holding the monopoly of force. The enduring problems of civil-military relations, from ending unaccountable corporate privileges to the militarisation of public security, mark past, present, and future governance relations in uneven and unique ways. By unpacking theoretical and empirical manifestations of modern-day governance, Governing the military sketches the ongoing attempts to legitimise civilian control in Chile since the demise of General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. The book explores the challenges posed when strengthening subordination mechanisms and imposing control and effectiveness measures over traditional military roles and missions, but also militarised responses to natural catastrophes and pandemics. The collaborators to the volume present timely findings for the study of democracy, governance, and policymaking while also discussing new developmental demands, human rights, and the spread of populism. Collectively, these chapters argue that civilian-led military policies are constructed and managed through the interaction of many institutions. Making, leading, and reforming the governance of the military in times of peace is a networked and multi-faceted endeavour. Intended for a broad readership concerned with the politics and policies of the state and security, Governing the military provides a detailed analysis on pressing military issues, including inter-agency coordination, defence expenditure, transparency and corruption, and international policy engagements.