CHANGING ROLES OF THE MILITARY

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CHANGING ROLES OF THE MILITARY
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ASSIGNMENTS

• Smith, Democracy, ch. 3
• Hagopian and Mainwaring, Third Wave, chs. 6-7
• Diamint, The Military (CR 1)

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OUTLINE

• Questions
• Historical Perspective
• Self-Assumed Roles
• Missions and Coups
• Types of Military Regimes
• Approval Ratings
• Reflections on Central America
• Impacts of 9/11?

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QUESTIONS

• What roles for the military in democratic (or
  democratizing) settings?
  
• What level (or type) of political power?
• Why accept any reduction in political influence?
• Issue not necessarily coups, but
  civilian-military relations

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Wars of independence (1810-1825)
• One element in triangle of powerchurch, economic
  elite, and military
  
• Path to upward mobility and political influence
• Duty maintenance of internal order
• Impact of professionalization?
• Saber-rattling against neighboring countries, but
  without real war (especially in 20th century)

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Military Folklore Forging Fatherlands
Patterns of Participation Incidence of C
oups Missions and Regimes Wars against Su
bversion The Democrats Dilemma To Amnesty or
Not? Argentina Chile
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• Military Regimes Key Factors
• Power structure personalistic or collegial?
• Institutional role of military in
  decision-making
  
• Ideological orientation
• Social base of civilian support

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Prominent Military Regimes in Latin America
Reformist/Inclusionary Argentina 1946-55 Ec
uador 1963-66, 1972-78 Peru 1968-80 Reactiona
ry/Exclusionary Argentina 1966-73, 1976-83 Br
azil 1964-85 Chile 1973-1989 Guatemala 1963-85
Uruguay 1973-84
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Modes of Interaction The Armed Forces and
Democracy Military control political subordina
tion of nominally civilian governments to
effective military control Military tutelage p
articipation of armed forces in general policy
processes and military oversight of civilian
authorities Conditional military subordination
abstention by the armed forces from overt
intervention in political questions, while
reserving the right to intervene in the name of
national interests and security
Civilian control subordination of armed forces
in political and policy terms to civilian
authorities, usually including a civilian
minister of defense
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Levels of Trust in the Military, ca. 2000
Ecuador 60 Venezuela 54 Brazil 53 Chile
46 Uruguay 44 Central America 26 Note A
lot some
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ON CENTRAL AMERICA

• El Salvador (E. J. Wood)
• Background 1932 massacre, military control of
  politics
  
• Transformations wrought by civil war
• Standoff, truce, and bargaining
• Peace accords 1992
• Crime and non-political violence (culture of
  violence?)
  
• Acceptance by military role in internal
  security
  
• But what if the FMLN wins?
• Guatemala (Mitchell Seligson)
• Background 1954 coup, murderous military
  regimes
  
• Cohesion and consolidation of ruling elites
• Defeat of insurgents
• Peace accords 1996
• Rise in ethnic conflict (lynchings, murders,
  etc.)
  
• Imperfect implementation, continued military
  power
  
• Rising disenchantment with democracy

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IMPACTS OF 9/11?

• Involvement in war on drugs, and now
• Emphasis on internal security
• Focus on borders
• From anti-subversion to anti-terrorism
• Renewal of U.S. support?