The Soldier and the Constitution

Published on: September 17, 2024

Description

The principle of civilian control of the armed forces and the military's norm of nonpartisanship are bedrock features of democratic governance. While military service members are encouraged to exercise their basic rights as citizens, such as voting, those on active duty face a number of restrictions regarding their political activity. This film helps educate service members on the military's norm of nonpartisanship and why it's critical for the military to avoid the appearance of participating in partisan politics, especially during an election year.

This film and the accompanying article "Instilling the Nonpartisan Ethic at the Unit Level" are intended to assist Army leaders at all levels in teaching and developing a nonpartisan approach to US politics among their personnel. The article by Dr. Heidi Urben can be found at: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/books/browse-books/ibooks-and-epubs/nonpartisan-ethic/