Military Governments

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have the ability to take over the government at any given time. In
Power and Choice, Shively questions the notion of the infrequency of military
governments. Yes, they are common, but why aren't they more common? The reason
being that as societies advance and become more complex, it is necessary for the
ruling elite to be more knowledgeable of the processes by which a government is
operated. This explains the recurrence of civilian-run governments. The
military may have a few leaders who are skilled politically, but the armed
forces are not customarily trained to run governments. Recall that the role of
the military is to protect and serve the state, therefore there is usually a
cycle, known as the Barracks cycle, in which the military brings about a coup,
but later reestablishes civilian control, and is the new state threatens
governmental stability, the military stages yet another coup, etc. The longer
the military stays in power, the more the political state exists ...

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