Global Politics of Defense Reform

by Thomas Bruneau and Harold Trinkunas

From the publisher:
This volume analyzes the impact of key global trends on civil-military relations by examining defense reform processes since the end of the Cold War. Civil - military relations are reconceptualized to emphasize three dimensions: civilian control of the armed forces, effectiveness in carrying out roles and missions, and efficiency in use of resources. The key global trends that affect these dimensions are the globalization of new norms and ideas, the democratization of governance, technological innovation, and economic liberalization. By focusing on defense reform processes, this book examines cases where civil-military relations can potentially alter quite rapidly under the impact of global trends. By comparing cases across Europe, Asia, North and South America, this book argues that democratization and globalization have had an outsized role in determining the timing and sequence of defense reform and the consequent impact on civil-military relations.

Thomas Bruneau is a Distinguished Professor of National Security Affairs in the Naval Postgraduate School's Department of National Security Affairs. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley. He has researched and written extensively on Latin America, especially Brazil, and Portugal. Dr. Bruneau has published more than a dozen books in English and Portuguese as well as articles in scholarly journals. His most recent books include Soldiers and Statesmen: The Institutional Bases of Democratic Civilian Control (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006) with Scott Tollefson, and Reforming Intelligence: Obstacles to Democratic Control and Effectiveness (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2007).

Harold Trinkunas is an Associate Professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University. His research and writing has focused on Latin American politics, particularly democratization and civil-military relations. His recent publications include Crafting Civilian Control of the Military in Venezuela (University of North Carolina Press, 2005); and Terrorism Financing and State Responses: a Comparative Perspective (Stanford University Press, 2007), co-edited with Jeanne Giraldo. Professor Trinkunas also serves as Deputy Director for Academic Affairs for the Center for Civil Military Relations at the Naval Postgraduate School.