Politicomilitary

Politicomilitary is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the interactions between political structures and military power. It analyzes how political decisions shape defense policy, military organization, and the use of force, and how military power, in turn, constrains or enables political outcomes. The field spans civil-military relations, security sector governance, defense budgeting, strategy, and international defense diplomacy, and it is relevant in both peacetime governance and crisis or wartime contexts.

Core concerns include civilian control of the armed forces, civilian oversight, and the professionalization and autonomy of the military. It also looks at how leadership changes, elections, public opinion, and political culture influence doctrine, procurement, troop deployments, and alliance commitments, as well as how bureaucratic politics and interest groups shape security policy.

Methodologies combine comparative politics, international relations, and historical analysis. Researchers use case studies, policy analysis, and quantitative data on budgets, personnel, and procurement to assess the effectiveness of governance of the security sector and the conditions that produce stable civil-military relations or, conversely, coercive or unstable governance.

Applications include security-sector reform, defense modernization, peacekeeping and post-conflict stabilization, and attempts to prevent or resolve conflicts through governance of armed forces. Debates concern definitional boundaries, measurement challenges, and the risk that military influence is overstated or used to justify political agendas.

Related terms include civil-military relations, defense policy, security studies, and strategic studies. The field is global in scope, with variations across democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrid systems.