American Public Support for US Military Operations from Mogadishu to Baghdad
Abstract
The support of the American public is widely held to be a critical prerequisite for understanding military action abroad. As shown in this report, however, the absence of support for military operations from a majority of Americans has not hindered presidents from undertaking those operations in the past, nor does it seems likely to prove much of a barrier in the future. The purpose of the present study is to describe American public opinion toward wars and other large military operations over the last decade, to delineate the sources of support and opposition for each war or operation, to identify the principal fault lines in support, and to illuminate those factors that are consistent predictors of support for and opposition to military operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA434575
Entities
People
- Bogdan Savych
- Eric V. Larson
Organizations
- RAND Corporation