軍人的干政、政變和軍事政權的建立，走一九六○年代至一九七○年代期間，第 三世界國家相當普遍的政治社會現象。許多研究軍事政治社會的學者因而致力於探討軍人干 政、政變的原因和軍事政權的運作情形。一九八O年代以後，有鑑於許多拉丁美洲、亞洲， 甚至非洲國家的軍隊紛紛返回軍營，和讓位給文人統治的趨勢，研究文武關係的學者即熱切 地轉向探討軍人脫離政治的現象。 研究發現，軍人脫離政治的原因複雜，部分來自軍隊組織因素，部分則出於環境影響; 一則需有動機，再則需有其條件。脫離政治的方式可能是自願地有計畫的進行，也可能是被 迫無計畫的退出;其目標在於重組政治社會關係。軍人脫離政治過程中，往往面臨挑戰。其結 果，可能淪入軍事政變和軍事政權的惡性循環;也可能經由自由化、民主化而成功地轉型成民 主政治。

　　　　　If the period of the 1960s and 1970s was an era of military coups, the period of the 1980s and early 1990s can, in contrast, be called an era characterized by the withdrawal of military forces from active participation in politics in a number of Third World countries. These events have challenged the previously held belief that military interventions in politics are conclusive and irreversible. In addition, these acts have generated a new wave of interest regarding the relationship between the military and society in general, and the transition from military rule to civilian government in particular. The findings from this research suggest that military disengagement from politics has been derived from the characteristics of the military institutions' environments - Disengagement of military forces from political powers has followed two different ways: planned disengagement (in which junta leaders consciously attempt to remove themselves from political dominance)and unplanned disengagement(in which junta leaders are forced to relinquish power, often resulting in further military intervention). The objectives of disengagement consist of remedying immediate deficiencies and, by rearranging political relations, ensuring that the pre-coup conditions should not be formed. After the disengagement of the military from politics, the new government often meets the challenge of power in the aftermath of the transition. This article asserts that military regimes can be liberalized, but not democratized. In other words, only by substantial civilianization can military-based governments move to a state of full democracy.