Political Science Speaker Series

Join Professor Stephen Saideman (Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University and the Director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network) for a special lecture titled Democratic Control Over the Armed Forces? Not As Much As You’d Think.

Dr. Saideman’s talk will cover the importance of civilian control in the military and the degree to which legislatures do or do not oversee the military. His presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

Abstract: Civilian control of the military is a fundamental but underrated component of democracy. In most democracies, the problem is not the threat of coups d’etat, but rather the military will prefer to operate according to its own doctrine and preferences rather than what the civilians intend. This is where legislatures are expected to come in, as the executive branch is often tempted to either hide problems or use the military secretly in ways that the public might not want. However, our understanding is largely based on the exception—the US Congress.

As it turns out, most legislatures have less ability and interest to engage in oversight. Our study of 15 democracies show that Canada is not alone in having a largely irrelevant parliament when it comes overseeing the armed forces. The good news is that countries can make changes to improve oversight without major changes in their constitutions.

All are welcome and registration is not required.