ABSTRACT
Many Americans share an implicit but erroneous assumption that our system of civil–military relations is, in fact, representative of the norm around the globe. There is also a widespread but mistaken impression that, in accordance with this system, the American military has not at times been involved in politics. Finally, whatever the accuracy of our beliefs about it, there exists a great danger that we in the United States may take our unique civil–military relationship—admittedly, one of the cornerstones of our democracy—too much for granted. These unfortunate assumptions, coupled with the nature of our political system, current and ongoing changes in warfare, and the impact of new and largely unmanageable modes of information dissemination may together place new and unique pressures on the American system of civil–military relations in the future. I wish to example the impact of all three factors on civil–military relations in this chapter.
