Congress and Civil-Military Relations

Reviews
"An excellent, comprehensive study of the relationship between Congress and the US military and, in the process, the powers of the legislative branch in foreign affairs. It is impressive to experience the breadth of topics covered as a collection of well qualified scholars examine historical and contemporary issues in a detailed manner without being so reliant on jargon that only a policy wonk would understand the material. The most important contribution of the book is the topic itself—scholars and the general public tend to place such an emphasis on the president's role as commander-in-chief that congressional powers to regulate the military are mostly an afterthought or a footnote rather than the essential constitutional authority they are."—Choice



"Colton C. Campbell and David P. Auerswald have organized an impressive collection of essays that gives timely and lively perspectives on the important topic of contemporary congressional and civil-military relations. They combine multiple perspectives that feature accessible original academic research that will help students, scholars, and political practitioners understand relations between Congress and the military establishment."—James Thurber, director and Distinguished Professor, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University



"This edited volume is a thoughtful and significant study of a hugely important, but under-covered, topic: Congress and the military. The book merits the widest possible readership because its chapters, such as those on the evolution of military appointments or the role of congressional defense commissions, are filled with compelling analyses by acknowledged scholars in the field. This work of scholarship should be a must-read for people who are affiliated with Congress and the military, as well as students and citizens keen on learning about the Congress-military relationship: how and why it works as it does. There is no doubt that this book is a valuable achievement sure to promote a better understanding of two complex institutions and their interactions."—Walter Oleszek, American University



"This timely volume provides a valuable perspective on a subject often neglected and poorly understood by the defense community and the public. Significantly, these essays suggest how changes in congressional thinking and behavior have grown in influence on national defense—both to strengthen, and to weaken, the nation's security."—Richard Kohn, Professor Emeritus of History and Peace, War, and Defense, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and former Chief of Air Force History for the USAF