NSPC Director Talks Civil-Military Relations Ahead of Expert Panel Discussion
November 13, 2025
“The people with the guns have to listen to the people without the guns, and that’s obviously not an easy equilibrium to hang on to.”
National Security Policy Center (NSPC) Founding Director Dr. Phil Potter sat down with UVA Today to talk about the shifting landscape of United States civil-military relations, sharing his insights ahead of an on-campus event where high-profile military leaders will gather to discuss the topic. “Over time, we developed very intricate laws and norms around the ways in which civilian authorities and military experts interact with one another. This allowed us to have civil-military relations that are the envy of the world” said Dr. Potter. “Maintaining these norms requires constant attention and maintenance. The event on Friday is part of a larger initiative to equip the next generation of military and civilian defense leaders with an appreciation for the value of healthy civil-military relations and a deep understanding of the challenges.”
Hosted by the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Friday’s panel discussion will be moderated by the Hon. Melissa Dalton, 28th Under Secretary of the Air Force. She’ll be joined by Hon. Kathleen Hicks, 35th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense; Dr. Kori Schake, senior fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and Gen. Joseph Votel, retired U.S. Army Four-Star General and former Commander of U.S. Central Command.
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