{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F2c8ecbc7-cbb5-4ca4-9732-b814110d647b","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Who Really Controls the Military?","description":"The United States military is the most powerful in the world; it is ordered from within by a strict hierarchy\u2014people in uniform\u2014and from without by civilian leadership, or people in suits. The Joint Chiefs of Staff bridge the gap between the military and executive branches to maintain the balance between military and civilian leadership. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Sharon Weiner joins us to discuss the roles of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.\n\nProfessor Weiner discusses her new book \u201cManaging the Military\u201d (2:46) and explains the history of the JCS\u2019s policy of public disagreement (4:41). She discusses how Robert McNamara shaped the practices of the JCS (time) and talks about the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act (9:55).\n\nWhy does an increase in so-called \u201cjointness\u201d increase the power of the chairman of the JCS (12:03)? Will we see another chairman as powerful and influential as Colin Powell again (14:07)? Why was it so shocking when current JCS chairman Gen. Mark Milley appeared in a certain famous photo with former President Trump (27:37)? Weiner answers these questions and discusses the importance and impact of the public and political image of the chairman and the JCS (28:35). The episode concludes as Weiner examines who really manages whom and how the government and military exert their leverage over one another (32:03).\n\nDuring our \u201cTake Five\u201d segment, Weiner shares five policies and procedure that would improve military and civilian relations (20:57).","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/cbdcb612-7f06-4ae0-a379-99f870c7c7cc/artworks-ojvplgtzt76ogd9r-toonkg-t3000x3000.jpg"}