The Military Cannot Save US Democracy

Rising political polarization and declining trust in civilian institutions are placing new strains on US civil-military relations, increasing the risk of politicizing the armed forces. Calls for the military to act as a safeguard against democratic backsliding are both impractical and dangerous, risking the emergence of praetorian tendencies.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Current History
Published
2026-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2026.125.874.14
Primary Topic
Military and Defense Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The Military Cannot Save US Democracy

Kori Schake
Current History
Military and Defense Studies
article

The Military Cannot Save US Democracy

Kori Schake
article en

Abstract

Rising political polarization and declining trust in civilian institutions are placing new strains on US civil-military relations, increasing the risk of politicizing the armed forces. Calls for the military to act as a safeguard against democratic backsliding are both impractical and dangerous, risking the emergence of praetorian tendencies.

Current HistoryVol. 125(874)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Military and Defense Studies
DOISourceOpenAlex
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The Military Cannot Save US Democracy — Kori Schake · Current History (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS