The Democratic Military: Reimagining the Armed Forces in Times of War

• Applicant: Dr. Sven Altenburger
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 566602466

The proposed research project is situated in political theory. It examines the character, normative credentials, and potential reform of standing military establishments (SMEs) in liberal democracies, chiefly in the Western world. It aims to address an underexplored issue in political theory, leveraging the latter’s potential to provide insights into the factual and desirable character and role of the military in liberal democracies. The project title’s term "democratic military" captures part of this endeavour, referring both to SMEs in liberal democracies and to the extent democratic principles and practices are (or could be) embodied within those institutions. The project’s objectives are threefold. First, to provide a better understanding of the varied roles and designs of SMEs in liberal democratic settings. Second, to arrive at a normative assessment of the different military arrangements identified, offering reasons to favour some over others. And third, in light of the institutional and normative analysis, to explore potential reform options and public policy recommendations. The project proceeds in two steps: First, the project explores a diversity of SMEs in liberal democratic societies largely overlooked in contemporary political theory. The focus is on the military’s purposes, organization, and integration into socio-political systems. The goal is to categorize SMEs by their defining features and purposes, distinguishing distinct ideal-type models, hybrids, and subtypes. Second, the project focusses on two key criteria of normative consequentialist assessment: military effectiveness and democratic control. While not the only relevant criteria, these are essential for a consequentialist evaluation of SMEs, which may sometimes conflict. This project adopts an analytical political theory approach, combining theoretical analysis and normative evaluation with a focus on public policy and social institutions. It employs two methods: institutional analysis, used to examine and categorize various models and subtypes of SMEs, and non-ideal normative reflection and argumentation to develop and apply evaluative criteria. The goal of the chosen approach and method is to arrive at empirically sensitive and normatively convincing conclusions that possess contemporary public relevance. Closely connecting political theory with social science, the project has significant academic and political relevance as it contributes to current debates on the armed forces in light of pressing strategic challenges and the resurgence of large-scale warfare in Europe.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Dr. Thomas Simpson