Since Samuel Huntington introduce the concept of objective control in his 1957 book The Soldier and the State, it has been the model of civil-military relations taught most widely in US professional military education. And yet the concept is not without critics. This episode features a fascinating discussion about civil-military relations, using Huntington’s ... Show More
Jun 2024
The Harding Project and Army Professional Writing
Last September, the Harding Project launched with the objective of renewing professional writing in the US Army. A priority of General Randy George, the Army chief of staff, the project is built on the premise that professional discourse will produce a more ready force, one prepa ... Show More
39m 21s
Jun 2024
Public Opinion and the Use of Force
Every four years, Americans choose a new commander-in-chief. US presidents have significant authority to use force, manage a global network of alliances and partnerships, as well as direct American grand strategy. How do voters decide who they want to be commander-in-chief? To ex ... Show More
55m 39s
Jan 2024
David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts on Conflict, War, and Debate
Debate is a form of conflict that is played out through civility, and the capability to exchange ideas with people we disagree with. But what leads leaders and countries to fall into conflict? In this conversation with Retired U.S. Army General David H. Petraeus and historian Lor ... Show More
53m 15s
Feb 2025
The Paradox of Trust in the Military in MENA
In this episode of MEnbar, host Marc Owen Jones is joined by Yasmina Abouzzohour, a nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and a fellow and lecturer in politics at Princeton University. They discuss her co-authored issue brief, “The Paradox of Trust in th ... Show More
27m 52s
Jun 2024
The Military Industrial Complexity
On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we reflect on how the US military saved democracy from fascism. This week, as the Senate marks up next year’s defense spending bill, Jon sits down with Bill Hartung of the Quincy Institute and Roxana Tiron of Bloomberg to investigate whether our ... Show More
1h 8m