ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights the advantages of employing a more balanced approach to civil-military relations at the Pentagon. It introduces the "Madisonian approach" for US civil-military relations to help stimulate the discussion. Reactions, corrections, criticisms and alternative proposals are welcomed and encouraged. The foundation for US civil-military relations comes from the Constitution, which provides clear provisions for the relationship simply put: elected leaders control the armed forces. The civil-military nexus is shaped by structure and norms. By emphasizing the critical role that structure and norms have on decisionmaking processes this study is aligned with a comprehensive body of scholarly literature which has come to be called "new institutionalism". Since World War II, the US government has at times employed two distinct methods of civilian control of the military and neither has provided an effective framework from which to guide top-level civil-military relationships.
