Civil-Military Relations
MIT OpenCourseWare presents this political science course on how societies keep militaries under civilian control. Early sessions work through the foundational texts of Lasswell, Huntington, and Finer to lay out the basic tensions between armed forces and civilian authority. The bulk of the course is a set of case studies chosen to span the range of outcomes: countries with stable civilian rule, countries where military influence has become entrenched, and countries that swing back and forth between the two. The final three weeks widen the lens to look at the broader relationship between the military and the society it serves. Materials include the syllabus, readings, and assignments as posted by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered. The course suits students of political science, security studies, or comparative government looking for a structured framework and concrete national examples rather than abstract theory alone.