In many contemporary nations, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the armed forces play a major role in governing. Historical, economic, and sociological factors have contributed to the political prominence of the military in developing countries. Nevertheless, in the 1980s several states in Latin America restored civilian rule followi
Claude E. Welch, Jr., professor of political science at the State University of New York at Buffalo, is the author of many books, including Anatomy of Rebellion, and co-author of Human Rights and Development in Africa.
How Armed Forces Become Politically Engaged: Civil-Military Relations -- Involvement and Disengagement -- The Regional Contexts -- Bolivia: The Consequences of Partial Revolution -- Ghana: The Roots of Endemic Praetorianism -- Nigeria: The Politics of Military Correction -- Peru: The Limits of the "New Professionalism" -- Colombia: Political Parties and Disengagement -- Côte-D'ivoire: Personal Rule and Civilian Control -- Disengagement and Paths of Change