maintaining an apolitical and nonpartisan military
Seemingly, today, maintaining an apolitical and nonpartisan military has become an issue of great concern to American democracy. The term military politicization is often used to describe a situation whereby service members actively express or engage in partisan political advocacy. While the US Constitution specifies the political neutrality of the military, adhering to this rule is becoming more difficult for service members. The potential pitfalls of military partisanship are severe and potentially catastrophic, including a lack of public trust in the government and the army discrimination based on service member partisanship.
The military should serve the American people diligently, and having partisan service members limits the trust of the people it serves. If there is any military partisan affiliation, especially among senior officers, voters may assume that a particular political party is in control of the armed forces. This notion could instill a sense of coercion towards picking the party, seemingly controlling the military. Not only will this action damage American democracy by curtailing voters’ freedom to choose, but it will also hinder the smooth transition of power between administrations. With the integrity of the administration and voter process damaged, the government will experience turmoil and uncertainty.
Another potential pitfall of military politicization closely related to the lack of public trust is the exposure of the military to possible discrimination by partisan agendas. APA claims that when the army is nonpartisan, significant factors such as funding and size of the military are less likely to be driven by partisan politicking. Instead, these decisions will get based on tactical, financial, and public interests. The integrity of both the government and military is crucial to America’s stability hence the importance of service member non-partisanship and apolitical alignment.