Download or read book Mending the Broken Dialogue written by Janine A. Davidson and published by Council on Foreign Relations. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although friction often frustrates civil-military relations, it is an inevitable and important part of the policymaking process. The system breaks down when there is too much friction or too little: when civilian and military leaders descend into open conflict or when one side acquiesces to the other and embraces groupthink. The system works best when both sides in the civil-military dialogue are able to speak candidly in an environment that fosters empathy and empowerment.