Congress and Civil-Military Relations

"Colton C. Campbell and David P. Auerswald have organized an impressive collection of essays that gives timely and lively perspectives on the important topic of contemporary congressional and civil-military relations. They combine multiple perspectives that feature accessible original academic research that will help students, scholars, and political practitioners understand relations between Congress and the military establishment."—James Thurber, director and Distinguished Professor, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University

"This edited volume is a thoughtful and significant study of a hugely important, but under-covered, topic: Congress and the military. The book merits the widest possible readership because its chapters, such as those on the evolution of military appointments or the role of congressional defense commissions, are filled with compelling analyses by acknowledged scholars in the field. This work of scholarship should be a must-read for people who are affiliated with Congress and the military, as well as students and citizens keen on learning about the Congress-military relationship: how and why it works as it does. There is no doubt that this book is a valuable achievement sure to promote a better understanding of two complex institutions and their interactions."—Walter Oleszek, American University

"This timely volume provides a valuable perspective on a subject often neglected and poorly understood by the defense community and the public. Significantly, these essays suggest how changes in congressional thinking and behavior have grown in influence on national defense—both to strengthen, and to weaken, the nation's security."—Richard Kohn, Professor Emeritus of History and Peace, War, and Defense, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and former Chief of Air Force History for the USAF