Overseer or Protector: Examining the Roles Played by Defense Agencies

• In Event: Civil-Military Relations

Abstract

While defense agencies--Departments and Ministries of Defense--are viewed by most scholars as the primary government agencies for overseeing their armed forces, there is actually significant variation in the roles they actually play. In some countries, the primary defense agency is actually more of a protector of the armed forces from the prying eyes and annoying policies of other civilians. Only recently have scholars sought to examine defense agencies, so this paper adds to this new trend by taking seriously the most fundamental question--what does a defense agency see as its primary purpose and why? The paper delineates several competing explanations and presents some preliminary analyses among the world's democracies.

Authors

• Stephen M. Saideman, Carleton University

• Philippe Lagasse, University of Ottawa

• Ora B. Szekely, Clark University