Civilian Control Fractures in Democracies: How Russia's Military Involvement Illustrates a New Framework

This paper reframes civilian control of the military, traditionally viewed through coup lenses. It argues that factors weakening military oversight share commonalities across democratic regimes.

Military Involvement Framework

The author introduces three distinct pathways to erosion: elite competition for power, institutional insubordination by armed forces, and government deference to military interests.

Intrastate Conflict Context

Analysis focuses on internal conflicts as environments conducive to diminished civilian authority. While coups remain rare in democracies during such periods, other forms of military overreach become more probable.

Empirical Evidence & Mechanism Validation

Large-N quantitative analysis supports the framework's generalizability across different democratic contexts and timeframes. Detailed case study—examining Russia's military engagement in the First Chechen War—illuminates how these mechanisms operate in practice, demonstrating increased military influence without a coup.