Crafting civilian control of the military: Comparing civilian supremacy in post-authoritarian Argentina, Brazil, and Chile

When Latin America's authoritarian military regimes of the 1960s and 1970s turned over power to new civilian administrations in the 1980s, civilian control of the armed forces was one of the most daunting challenges the new governments faced in the democratization process. Subordinating the region's historically active and powerful militaries has been an accomplishment that the new civilian governments have yet to achieve. In Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the armed forces still wield significant clout, although the degree of power they retain differs across the three states. An examination of the post-authoritarian period, with a focus on defence budgets, institutional prerogatives, and human rights reveals that Argentina has met with the most success in bringing its military under civilian control, Brazil has made some important progress, but key challenges still plague the civilian government, and Chile's armed forces are the least subordinate of the three case studies. The varying degree of civilian control can be attributed to the unique circumstances each state experienced during the transition to democracy and the efficacy of state institutions to challenge military dominance. Because civilian control of the armed forces is a necessary (though clearly not sufficient) component of a healthy democracy, more work must be done to depoliticize the military and check their influence on society and government in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.