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Huntington, Janowitz, or None of the Above? Conceptions of Professional Norms by Future Army Officers
Risa Brooks Marquette University
Michael Robinson United States Military Academy
Heidi Urben Georgetown University
Through a survey of 1,470 cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, we measure the strength of civil-military norms in the midst of their socialization to civil-military values. In addition, we use an embedded list experiment to measure true preferences to controversial questions in civil-military affairs, such as competing loyalties to democratic governance. To analyze cadet adherence to norms we first articulate a framework of various conceptions of professionalism. While cadets do not exhibit adherence to one particular framework, we find limited adherence to a purist Huntington model, and more of a conflicted reading of Huntington, as well as selectivity and superficiality in their commitment to norms, largely driven by their own partisan preferences. Lastly, we find concerning evidence that a significant number of cadets prioritize following orders over upholding democratic traditions, justifying Janowitz's concerns that a military separate from society could breed attitudes among military personnel antithetical to democracy.
Summary of changes from Version 2
Updated author/project information.
Oct 02, 2020 Version 3
Sep 30, 2020 Version 1
10.33774/apsa-2020-6dhv6-v3
Author's competing interest statement
The author(s) have declared they have no conflict of interest with regard to this content
The author(s) declare that they have sought and gained approval from the relevant ethics committee/IRB for this research and its publication.
2020 APSA Annual Meeting: Democracy, Difference, and Destabilization open_in_new