GOV 390L/cross-listed with the LBJ School
Fall 2025
Instructor: Prof. Z. D. Barany
This course is designed to familiarize graduate students with the military’s role in modern state and society. The focus is on the sociopolitical character and potential economic role of the armed forces. We will examine the most important issues of civil-military relations, such as civilian control and the types of control arrangements that are conducive to healthy civil-military relations in various types of political regimes, how military politics may be democratized, why and how military dictatorships emerge and exit, the socioeconomic background of soldiers and officers, and in what ways do military elites respond to state policies and social movements. The geographical coverage is global and the reading list – aside from some texts that impart basic knowledge – will be heavily influenced by the composition of the class.