Military governments have been around since the days of feudalism. It is the oldest and most
common political state. According to Shively, a military government is one in which a group of officers
use their troops to take over the governmental apparatus and run it themselves. Military governments
are usually weak in appeasing the masses for they are known to be brutal and power hungry and are
also rather fragile, both internally and externally.
In its primitive state, existing as feudalism, the high ranking officials/nobility and the military
itself was composed solely of the elite ruling class. But as society became more complex, the role of the
elite was slightly altered as technology progressed and the nobility and kings no longer controlled
weapons nor could prevent the disintegration of the feudal society.
Modern military governments usually occur after the military stages a coup. A coup is the
forceful deposition of a government by all or a portion of the armed forces and installation of a new
military government.
The Seat of Government
Government spending
Government HouseCoups ordinarily take place when the present government poses a threat to the
state or the status quo. Because the military controls more armed power than anyone in a state, they
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...