Learning Objectives

  • Why does the military intervene in politics in certain countries and not in others?
  • How can civilians maintain effective control over the military? When the military takes power, what explains how it rules and how much power, if any, it shares with civilians?
  • What best explains why some new democracies survive whereas others revert to authoritarianism?
  • Can a democracy survive in any country, or does it require a certain type of society, culture, or economy?