Support for Military Service in an Era of Political Polarization

• In Event: Gender and Foreign Policy

Abstract

The American “all volunteer force” is beset by a recruiting crisis and declining confidence. Nevertheless, existing research shows an emerging norm of volunteerism whereby public support for military operations increases when the members of the armed forces are perceived to want to serve in combat. But, in an era of political divisions and rancor is this norm evenly distributed across party lines and demographic groups? Who supports a norm of volunteerism? Using original survey data from a representative sample of the American public, this paper analyzes the demographic characteristics of Americans who support volunteer military service. Using a series of regressions that look at various motivations for serving, our results show that familiarity with the military, trust in military leadership, and conservative political ideologies increase support for volunteerism while the effects of age, race, gender, and education is mixed. Our results have important policy implications for the recruitment of military forces and offers insight on the consequences politicization of the military has on the composition of the force.

Authors

• Max Zeldes Margulies, United States Military Academy

• Keith Carter, Naval Postgraduate School

• Laura Resnick Samotin, Columbia University