Out of the Service, Into the House
Military Experience and Congressional War Oversight
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6340281 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Danielle L Lupton (0000-0002-6122-9664, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 327-339 |
| Publication date | 2017-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Research Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1065-9129 • E-ISSN: 1938-274X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1065912917691359 |
| OpenAlex | W2585504245 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 32 |
| References cited | 27 |
While evidence from international security and civil-military relations shows that elites with military experience have distinct policy preferences from elites who have not served in the armed forces, the effects of military service are not apparent in congressional voting records on foreign and defense policy. If elites with military experience have distinct policy preferences, why has this gap failed to manifest itself in congressional policy positions? I argue that the effects of military service are most pronounced on issues where this experience is highly salient: on the oversight of war operations. Using a pooled cross-sectional time-series analysis of an index of roll call votes in the House of Representatives during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I find that congresspersons with military experience are significantly more likely to vote to increase congressional oversight over war operations, including increased access to information and limiting the deployment of troops in theater. Further tests confirm these findings are not simply due to partisan effects. I discuss how my results carry serious implications for war termination and the declining number of veterans in Congress during the post-9/11 era, as well as the impact of military service on foreign policy and international security
Economics · Economy · Foreign policy · House of Representatives · Military service · National security · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Service (business · Software deployment · Vietnam War · Voting · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Engineering · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Public Administration
Does Military Service Matter? How Veteran Status Motivates Legislative Collaboration, Success, & Effectiveness in the U.S. Senate
Veteran social identity, partisanship, and political behavior
Suboptimal Selective Service
Some Assembly Required
See G.I. Jane Run
Foreign policy free agents
The relationship between American civil–military relations and military outcomes
Military Experience and the Use of Force
Engaged Hawks and Quiet Doves
The Relationship Between Military Service and Legislative Behavior for U.S. Representatives in Recent Congresses
Is There a Public–Military Gap in the United States? Evaluating Foundational Foreign Policy Beliefs
National Guard Command Authority and the Black Lives Matter Protests of 2020
Strength in numbers
Returning Veterans’ Attitudes Toward Democracy
The Electoral Impact of Military Experience
When OK is Not OK
Exporting Influence
Schools of Thought
Long Soviet shadows
Polarization versus professionalism
Deployed to the Hill
Would You Like to Know More? Selection, Socialization, and the Political Attitudes of Military Veterans
Twice the Citizen
Wither Elites? The Role of Elite Credibility and Knowledge in Public Perceptions of Foreign Policy
Military Experience and Elite Decision-Making
Talking War
Lottocracy or psephocracy? Democracy, elections, and random selection
Studying Leaders and Elites
Integrating the Civil–Military Relations Subfield
Descriptive and Substantive Representation in Congress
Military Service and Legislative Agendas
Personality and Genetic Associations With Military Service
Choosing your battles
Personal Roots of Representation
Armed Servants
After the Rubicon
A Widening Gap between the U.S. Military and Civilian Society
A Widening Gap between the U.S. Military and Civilian Society? Some Evidence, 1976-96
The Iraq War, Partisanship, and Candidate Attributes
Last Post for “The Greatest Generation
Who Influences U.S. Foreign Policy
Responding to War on Capitol Hill
When Leaders Matter
Elite Opinion Differences and Partisanship in Congressional Foreign Policy, 1975-1996
Does the American Dream Matter for Members of Congress
Be All that You Can Be
Influences shaping members' decision making
Building a Reputation on National Security
How Prior Military Experience Influences the Future Militarized Behavior of Leaders
The Political Legacies of Combat
Business Backgrounds and Congressional Behavior
Understanding the Policy Impact of Electing Women
All Politics are Still Local
Constituency Opinion and Congressional Policy Making
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick? Veterans in the Political Elite and the American Use of Force
Military Experience in Elections and Perceptions of Issue Competence
| Unique citing works | 32 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4,57 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 32 |