Civilians and the Military in Latin America: The Absence of Incentives

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Authors
Bruneau, Thomas C.
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Date of Issue
2013
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Abstract
This article argues that civil-military relations should be conceptualized not only in terms of democratic civilian control but also for effectiveness in implementing a spectrum of roles and missions. It also argues that achieving effectiveness requires institutional development as a necessary but not sufficient condition. Currently in Latin America, the focus in civil-military relations remains exclusively on civilian control. While there is a growing awareness of the need for analysis beyond asserting control over the armed forces, so far nobody has proposed or adopted a broader analytical framework. This article proposes such a framework, and employs it to analyze differences among four major South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. The explanation for the differences identified by use of the framework is found in the incentives of civilian elites in Chile and Colombia, who have recognized serious threats to national security and defense.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-2456.2013.00216.x
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Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
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Citation
Latin American Politics and Society, Volume 55, Number 4, 2013.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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