Mightier Than the Sword
The civilian role in managing the military has never been more important. Today, civilian leadership of defense policy is challenged by the blurring line between war and competition and the speed of machine decision-making on the battlefield. Moreover, the legitimacy of political leaders and civil servants has been undermined by a succession of foreign policy failures and by imbalances of public faith in the military on the one hand and disapproval of civilian institutions on the other. A central question emerges: What does appropriate and effective civilian control of the military look like?
Combining scholarly expertise and firsthand civilian experience in the Department of Defense, Friend argues that civilians combine authoritative status, institutional functions, and political expertise to ensure that democratic preferences over the use of force prevail. Friend focuses on the ways political context shapes whether and how civilian controllers—the civilians in professional and institutional positions with the responsibility for defense matters—exercise control over the military and each other. Mightier Than the Sword provides insights that enrich civil-military relations scholarship, as well as lessons aimed at revitalizing American democracy.
—Peter D. Feaver, Duke University
"Civilian control of the military has been a pillar of American democracy since its founding. At a time when this concept is both poorly understood and challenged, Mightier Than the Sword offers a must-read analysis of what civilian control actually entails and why it matters."
—Michèle Flournoy, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
"Too often civilians are left out of the civil-military relations equation. Alice Hunt Friend's new book offers an essential corrective by explaining the unique role that civilians play in determining what the military does, and how. Scholars and practitioners alike will benefit enormously from reading her book and reflecting on its vital message."
—Risa Brooks, Marquette University
"Mightier than the Swordwould enlighten individuals interested in filling political appointments in the Office of the Secretary of Defense or congressional staff positions with the House or Senate Armed Services Committees. The book would also be a helpful addition to the reading list for military command and staff college, especially the chapter that addresses development and procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles."
—Thomas H. Lillie, Armed Forces & Society
"[Friend] provides a model for how to combine rigorous scholarship with relevant experience to advance understanding of a vital public policy issue. This book serves as a powerful reminder that civilian control, like democracy itself, must be constantly nurtured. Deeply researched and lucidly argued,Mightier than the Swordshould be required reading for anyone interested in how civil-military relations affect the health of democracy. Highly recommended."
—W. A. Taylor, CHOICE
"Mightier Than the Sword makes a crucial step in the study of civil-military relations by problematizing the role of civilians in civil-military relations. Its conceptual and descriptive contributions offer a helpful apparatus for the development of future research on the subject."
—Polina Beliakova, H-Diplo
"Friend's research presents the full complexity of Washington politics that include the numerous and direct engagements between military leaders and powerful members of Congress, not only on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees but also on the appropriations committees."
—Sam Brannen, H-Diplo
"[Friend] re-centers politics at the heart of defense policymaking and makes an important contribution to the understanding of both civil-military relations and the making of US foreign policy."
—Carrie A. Lee, H-Diplo
"In Mightier Than the Sword, Friend persuasively urges civilians of all professional and institutional stripes to make full use of their comparative expertise, functions, status, and the political tools in their arsenals, from speeches and spreadsheets, strategy documents and decision memoranda, hearings and hose-trading, to pens and the purse, in order to exercise effective civilian control over the military in the United States' democratic society."
—Theo Milonopoulos, H-Diplo
"In less interesting times, Alice Hunt Friend's new book, Mightier Than the Sword... might have been a much-welcome addition to scholars' understanding of civilian control of the armed forces. That it arrives today, amidst extraordinary efforts by civilians to politicize the military, makes it urgently required reading for military officials and civilian leaders."
—Heidi A. Urben, H-Diplo
