Civilian-Military Relations
72 Articles
Boots Off Ballots: Troops and Elections, In Practice
Soldiers should always remember that in a democracy, any domestic deployment order given on or around an election is suspect.
No Emergency Exception: The Ban on Troops at the Polls Was Built for Crises
Section 592 unmistakably conveys Congress’s intent to bar any kind of military interference in American elections.
Collection: Just Security 2026 Midterm Election Analysis and Commentary
This collection brings together analysis of the legal and policy issues surrounding the 2026 U.S. midterm elections published on Just Security.
Boots Off Ballots: The Law
Federal law and the Constitution are abundantly clear: efforts to involve troops in U.S. elections are anti-constitutional and illegal.
Who Checks the President? Not the Military
The responsibility for checking contentious policies rests not with the military, but with elected officials, constitutional institutions, and the American people.
“Can We Do This?”: The Role of Military Leaders and Their Legal Advice
On the role of U.S. military leaders in addressing legal constraints and strategic questions.
A Year Later: The Stakes of Ordering Military Personnel to Police American Streets
One year since Trump sent the National Guard to LA, a new report warns military deployments for domestic policing produce escalation, disillusionment, and politicization.
Lessons from the Pentagon’s Empty Case Against Mark Kelly
Expert on civil-military relations writes on what's behind Secretary Pete Hegseth’s "hollow pursuit" of Senator Mark Kelly.
Hegseth’s Intellectual Purge is an Insult to His Officer Corps
"I am also a registered Republican and a gun owner. I did not arrive in Cambridge confused about my political identity. I did not leave with it erased or chastened."
The Shield of the Americas Is the Trump Corollary’s Military Edge
The Shield of the Americas operationalizes the 2025 National Security Strategy, creating serious consequences for sovereignty, civil-military relations, and democratic governance.
The OLC Maduro Memorandum: Assisting in War Sustaining Activities is Not Direct Participation in Hostilities
A troubling OLC memo claims civilians aiding “war-sustaining activities” can be lawfully targeted—an unsupported interpretation that weakens civilian safeguards.
An Analysis of Resolution 2803 and the International Stabilization Force: A Militarized Enforcement Mission with Precarious Legal and Strategic Implications
UN Resolution 2803 authorizes a Gaza stabilization force under U.S. guidance, raising questions about legality, impartiality, and risks to Palestinian self-rule.