Civil–Military Relations

Abstract

Abstract What have constitutions got to do with civil–military relations? How does security-sector reform intersect with democratic consolidation and constitutional endurance, especially at moments of democratic transition? These are the primary questions that this chapter seeks to answer. Drawing from literature on militarisation, it examines how constitutional features regulate and influence civil–military relations, that is, the balance of power between civilian authorities and the security sector. This includes analysis of the executive powers of the head of state, the role and powers of the commander-in-chief, the role of the military, and the ‘military imprint’. It also reflects on the limitations of constitutions and constitutional reform as tools to balance civil–military relations and how contextual factors and the balance of power foreground any such effort. Finally, it considers strategies on how to recalibrate imbalanced civil–military relations.