The SFRS Lab is conducting a data collection project on military domestic roles — the full range of responsibilities armed forces take on beyond national defense. Pilot data collection across 47 countries shows that in the past two decades, especially in the wake of 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic, militaries have taken on an expanding variety of domestic responsibilities around the world.
Italian soldiers patrolling streets of Florence, Italy. Photo: Roya Izadi.
French soldiers patrolling streets of Paris, France. Photo: Roya Izadi.
What we are studying
Domestic roles refer to any responsibility the military is tasked with that falls outside the military domain of armed combat against external adversaries, or that is considered internal. The SFRS Lab codes all possible domestic tasks that militaries have assumed for all countries from 1970–2025, across six broad categories:
Law enforcement, anti-crime operations, street patrols, civil disturbance response, curfew enforcement
Domestic intelligence gathering, counter-opposition operations, military tribunals for civilians, martial law
Border protection, airports & customs, guarding infrastructure, transportation security, public works
Education, social programs, public health emergencies, natural disaster response
Environmental management, R&D, military economic activities
State media control, internet control, religion enforcement
Preliminary findings
The chart below shows the total count of military domestic role involvement across five countries from 1970–2025. The data reveal striking variation: Jordan shows consistently high and growing involvement across the period; Venezuela shows dramatic spikes particularly around political crises; Poland’s involvement declined sharply after democratization; while Liberia and Algeria show more modest but growing trends in recent decades.
Overall military involvement in domestic tasks across five countries, 1970–2025. Data from SFRS Lab pilot collection.
Research goals
This work will advance scholarship on civil-military relations and provide an invaluable resource for policymakers, governments, and civil society actors interested in the causes and consequences of military-supported state-building initiatives.