Armed Forces and Society: New Challenges and Environments / International Political Science Association Research Committee 24 ; The existence of a ministry of defense (MOD) is an important basic indicator of the quality of civilmilitary relations in a country. Although some of these ministries are hardly more than facades, with no power whatsoever, others have assumed increasingly important roles as catalysts and platforms for the consolidation of democratic civil-military relations. This paper explains why they are created and identifies those conditions and actions necessary for the ministries to formulate effective and efficient defense strategies while ensuring democratic civilian control.
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08850600701854094 ; Several countries in South America have recently undertaken reforms of their intelligence systems, and other countries in the region are now beginning similar reforms. While in most cases the initial motivation was to bring the intelligence agencies under democratic civil control as one of the last phases of democratic consolidation, civilian governments and military leaders are today increasingly motivated to reform their intelligence systems in order to better respond to threats from organized crime and terrorism.
This article argues for a new focus in the study of civil-military relations. It seeks to provide civilian policymakers with ideas and information to help them best carry out their responsibilities as democratically elected leaders. Referring to knowledge of military matters as "one big thing," it argues that it is not necessary for policymakers to know as much about matters of defense as their military counterparts. Based on the academic literature and the author's experience in Latin America and other regions, this article suggests that civil-military relations are best understood in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and civilian control of the armed forces. These relations will only be effectively normalized when institutions incorporate and personalize understanding and mechanisms of control at both executive and legislative levels.
The Center for Civil-Military Relations in Monterey, California, helps nations resolve issues resulting from defense transformation, stability and support operations, terrorism, and other security challenges. In the past two years, the Center has helped educate almost 7,000 foreign military officers and civilians in programs conducted in host countries and in the United States.
This article appeared in Strategic Insights (March 2003), v.2 no.3 ; One year after the formal end of the failed peace process which had been initiated by President Andres Pastrana in 1998, it is possible to take stock of the situation of conflict in Colombia and the prospects for the future. The government of President Alvaro Uribe, who took office on August 7, 2002, is seeking to end the conflict by fighting the terrorists to force them to negotiate. To reach this point required serious modifications in domestic and international politics. This document explains why ongoing changes in domestic politics, including in Colombian civil-military relations, are required to keep pursuing this strategy.
Occasional Paper ; The very existence of a ministry of defense (MOD) is an important basic indicator of the overall situation of civil-military relations in a country. Although some of these ministries are but hollow shells with no power whatsoever, others have assumed increasingly important roles as catalysts and platforms in consolidating democratic civil – military relations. This paper situates the founding and development of ministries of defense in historical context, namely the current era of democratization at the end of the Cold War; explains why they are created; and identifies conditions and actions required for the ministries to fulfill major roles and responsibilities in achieving effective and efficient defense while also ensuring democratic civilian control. ; The Center for Civil-Military Relations
In Spanish, English version also available by searching: Ministries of Defense and Democratic Civil-Military Relations, Occasional Paper ; La sola existencia de un ministerio de defensa (MOD por sus siglas en inglés) es un indicador importante de la existencia de relaciones cívico-militares en un país. A pesar de que algunos de estos ministerios no son sino cascarones vacíos sin poder alguno, otros han ido adquiriendo un papel cada vez más importante como catalizadores y plataformas en la consolidación de relaciones cívico-militares democráticas. Este documento ubica los cimientos y el desarrollo de los ministerios de defensa en un contexto histórico, a saber, la actual era de democratización después del fin de la Guerra Fría; explica por qué fueron creados e identifica, de igual manera, las condiciones y acciones necesarias para que los ministerios cumplan con su papel y responsabilidades principales, consistentes en el logro de una defensa eficaz y eficiente que asegure, al mismo tiempo, un democrático control civil.
The Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post-Graduate School (CCMR, Monterey, CA) is an implementing organization of the U.S. Department of Defense's Expanded-International Military Education and Training Program and has amassed both scholarly and practical expertise educating civilian and military defense professionals from more than 40 countries. CCMR was established in 1994 and is sponsored by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). CCMR conducts civil-military relations programs designed primarily for military officers, civilian officials, legislators, and non-government personnel. These programs include courses designed to be taught both in residence at NPS and in a Mobile Education Team (MET) format, depending upon requirements. Three programs offered by CCMR include the MET, the Masters Degree in International Security and Civil-Military Relations, and the Executive Program in Civil-Military Relations. ; The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored the research in this report under agreement AEP-A-00-98-00014-00, which established the Partnership for Democratic Governance and Society. The Partnership for Democratic Governance and Society (PDGS) conducts programs to strengthen the capacity of civilians to provide leadership in defense management, policymaking and analysis. The PDGS conducts its programs in cooperation with local legislatures, political parties, civic organizations, academic institutions, media and the civilian elements of the defense establishment. ; Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Spain has frequently and correctly been offered as a model of how to negotiate a democratic transition and consolidate a democracy. The transition from authoritarianism to democracy was initiated in the late 1970s and completed with the election of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in 1982. It was the forerunner in the contemporary "third wave" of democracy. A, if not the, crucial factor in the overall process of the Spanish transition was the resolution of civil–military relations. The Spanish transition provides an example of a "success story." As such it is particularly useful to analyze for it can shed light on strategies of transition which are likely to promote as opposed to undermine democratic consolidation.
Occasional Paper #2 ; The Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR) was invited by the Minister of Defense to develop and implement programs to assist Mozambique consolidate democratic civil-military relations. The first program was held at the CCMR in Monterey, California, in March 1998 for the Minister and four other top officials, and was followed by a program in Maputo, Mozambique in March of 1999 for fifty-six officers and civilians. The CCMR programs fit centrally into the Government of Mozambique's overall strategy to develop new structures and processes to solidify domestic stability and democratic governance.
