Civil Supremacy over the Military: Its Nature and Limits

Abstract

The principle of civil supremacy over the military is an important principle of American constitutional government. This article looks at the principle from another point of view. Here it is seen as a moral principle applicable to individual officers and soldiers. The principle states that (1) the ends of government policy are to be set by civilians; the military is limited to decisions about means; and (2) it is for the civilian leadership to decide where the line between ends and means (and hence between civilian and military responsibility) is to be drawn. The article defends this two-point principle and discusses its limits by appeal to general philosophical considerations and by reflection on historical examples.