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Public Remains Confident in U.S. Military Strength

Public Remains Confident in U.S. Military Strength

by Darren K. Carlson

With American soldiers engaged in major military missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other locations around the world, concerns that the U.S. military is stretched beyond its capacity have become a recurring theme in the news. However, most of the American public remains confident that the military is strong enough and prepared enough to protect the nation's interests.

According to Gallup's January 2004 Mood of the Nation poll*, more than 4 in 10 Americans report being "very satisfied" with "the nation's military strength and preparedness," and another 37% are "somewhat satisfied." Roughly one in six Americans report dissatisfaction with the nation's military strength, including 12% who are "somewhat dissatisfied," and 5% who are "very dissatisfied."

This question was part of a series asking Americans about their satisfaction with 21 different aspects of American life -- everything from the state of race relations to the nation's abortion policies. Americans are more satisfied with the nation's military strength and preparedness than any other item included, by a wide margin. The nation's security from terrorism and the position of women in the nation are statistically tied for second on the list, but only about 7 in 10 are satisfied with these areas, and fewer than one in five are very satisfied.

The 2004 findings regarding military strength and preparedness are right in line with results from surveys conducted in January 2002 and January 2003. Prior to the show of military strength prompted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, however, the figures were more modest.

In January 2001, just 24% of Americans said they were very satisfied with the nation's military strength and preparedness, while 32% were dissatisfied. The percentage of Americans saying they were very satisfied increased 19 percentage points to 43% in January 2002, and has remained steady since. The Iraq war does not seem to have affected satisfaction on this front in either direction.

Older Americans Less Satisfied

There is significant variation by age when it comes to satisfaction with military strength. Fifty percent of those aged 18 to 49 report being very satisfied; 34% of those 50 and older say the same.

The Partisan Split

Not surprisingly, Republicans are the most likely to report being very satisfied with the nation's military strength and preparedness, at 55%. The percentages of very satisfied adults are much smaller among independents, at 39%, and Democrats, at 38%.

In general, the Republican Party tends to favor a strong military; therefore, Republicans tend to feel more favorably than those in other parties do toward the military and military spending. The party differences have much to do with the fact that a Republican is in the White House. The 2001 data, taken in the final days of the Clinton administration, showed Republicans significantly less satisfied with the nation's military strength than independents and Democrats (who were most satisfied).

Bottom Line

Age and partisan gaps aside, the fact remains that Americans are overwhelmingly satisfied with the current strength and preparedness of the U.S. military. It seems likely that President George W. Bush will continue to focus on this issue as a rallying point during the presidential campaign, while Democratic rival John Kerry will try to counteract any Republican advantage on the issue.

*Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,004 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 12-15, 2004. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.


Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/10999/Public-Remains-Confident-US-Military-Strength.aspx
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