Abstract
This thesis discusses the political and democratic consequences of the use of private military contractors by the U.S. government. The discussion is divided into three separate parts: The presidency, the executive branch and the legislative branch. The discussion is divided into three separate parts, examining the role of the presidency, the executive branch and the legislative branch, respectively. There are a total of five chapters. The first chapter gives the historical background to and an explanation of the topic. The last chapter explores possible solutions to the problems presented in the main discussion, as well as an update on recent developments with regard to my topic. This thesis concludes that there are major threats to the American democratic model inherent in the use of private military contractors, and that the result of the use can prove dire. The outsourcing of military functions becomes a threat to the American democratic model when it allows the executive branch and the president to wage war with contractors, personnel that the U.S. Congress, and the American people, has very limited control over. This development is the result of Congress's laissez-faire attitude towards the privatization of military functions and an eagerness of the executive branch to shift the power balance in American politics in their favor in the years following September 11, 2001.