Civilian Control of the Military Establishment

With the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization ACt of 1986, the principle of civilian control of the military establishment again came under debate in both civilian and military circles. The focus on jointness and a powerful Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff caused concern. Has Congress gone too far in asserting its constitutional role with the military This study seeks to review the intent of the Founding Fathers in 1787 as they drafted the Constitution, to analyze the changes that two hundred years of civilian control have made on the military establishment, to assess the current health of this principle, and to forecast the future of civilian control of the military. The people of the United States have the right to know how well the executive and legislative branches of government are upholding their constitutional responsibilities and to know whether this democratic principle is somehow jeopardized by our military establishment.