A comparative assessment of civil-military relations in South America, with a special emphasis on Colombia
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Date
2014-09-15
Authors
Perez Ordonez, Gabriela
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Abstract
This thesis seeks to answer the question: how healthy, relatively speaking, are civil-military relations in South America? To answer this, key variables from three of the touchstone works in civil-military literature, namely, Samuel Huntington’s “The Soldier and the State,” Morris Janowitz’s “The Professional Soldier: A Social and Political Portrait,” and Samuel Finer’s “The Man On Horseback.” and journal articles were gleaned.
A total of twenty-two variables were identified and divided into three categories: State Comparative, Civilian and Military variables that are connected to “healthy” civil-military relations in the literature. These variables were then applied to all twelve South American states. The results were then compared to the United States, which the literature suggests is the closest to having “ideal” civil-military relations.
To ensure that the paper comparison matches practice, this thesis reviewed Colombia in-depth. Its military is not only the second largest in the region, but also one that plays a vital role in society.
The overall results from this comparative assessment indicate that there is a bimodal distribution among South American states in terms of the variables indicating healthy civil-military relations. Although it is clear that all States still need major improvements, half have healthier civil-military relations than the other half.
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Civil-military relations, South America, Colombia