Depoliticization of military organizations: A theoretical framework, policy implications, and case studies of France, Spain, Argentina, and Nigeria

This study concentrates on finding answers to the central question of how to establish civilian control over the military through a process called depoliticization. It is comparative in nature and includes detailed case studies of France, Spain, Argentina, and Nigeria. The dissertation committee was composed of Samuel P. Huntington, Stanley Hoffmann, and Jennifer Widner. The initial four chapters of the dissertation develop a theoretical framework which is then used to analyze the cases during periods of regime change. The concluding chapter includes a section of "lessons learned" with relevant policy implications for civilian leaders who may attempt to develop military depoliticization policies.;The essence of depoliticization is the establishment of a norm of civilian control within the military. The central tool which policymakers can use to institutionalize a policy of depoliticization is mission orientation. The broad mission of defense which armed forces are required to execute can be broken down into two distinct categories: external and internal threats to the state. Internal missions tend to politicize military organizations. Policymakers should strive to orient their armed forces towards external missions. External mission orientation leads to successful depoliticization over time through a two step process directly related to the two principle components of military professionalism: the expertise necessary to operate the increasingly complex tools of combined-arms warfare, and an integrated norm of civilian control as the second and most critical aspect of military professionalism. Two other independent variables: the Scope of National Security Policy which encompasses both how policymakers define and operationalize national defense conceptions and what responsibilities (missions) the military is given within national defense tasks; Military Organizational Capacity accounts for the armed force's ability to accomplish whatever missions they are assigned, are analyzed at three levels which correspond to the military's relationship to the different aspects of the state: the nation-state, the regime, and state organizations.