Military elites and praetorian propensities -- Genesis of the guardians -- The scholarly Roadmap -- Military elites as an epistemic community -- The role & influence of military elites -- Consequences -- Conclusion -- Appendix A: Semi-structured interview Questions -- Appendix B: Sample population -- Appendix C: Wave one -- Appendix E: Interview methodology -- Appendix F: Analysis of the National Security Strategies of the United States -- Appendix G: Military elite conceptual attributes and theoretical implication.
Summary:
"Understanding US national security and foreign policy decision-making requires understanding the actors: the president, civilian elites, advisors, bureaucracies, and institutions. In Silent Coup of the Guardians, Todd Schmidt demonstrates that military elites constitute an epistemic community and, as such, play a unique role due to their exceptional influence over both policy process and outcome. His findings help explain nuanced relationships between military elites, the president, and Congress; decision-making in national security and foreign policy; and civil-military balance of power relations that suggest a potential trend of praetorian behavior among U.S. military elites. He concludes that a silent coup of the guardians has occurred, and that professionals and citizens need to ask what should be done to re-balance civil-military relations"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.