A governance relationship whereby stakeholders have the final decision-making power over planning, not the officials.[1] In a democratic country, for example, the institutions of government are civilian in nature and, thus, the executive and democratic institutions exercise control over the military and its deployment.[2]

Democratic control of armed forces refers to the norms and standards governing the relationship between the armed forces and society, whereby the armed forces are subordinated to democratically elected authorities and subject to the oversight of the judiciary as well as the media and civil society organizations.