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Casualties and Consensus
The Historical Role of Casualties in Domestic Support for U.S. Military Operations
It is often said that the Vietnam War taught us that the American public is no longer willing to tolerate American casualties in U.S. wars and military operations. There are also two contradictory corollaries: one that the first deaths in a conflict will spark demands for immediate withdrawal, the other that casualties lead to an inexorable demand for escalation to victory. The truth is far more subtle and sensible. The simplest explanation consistent with the data is that public support for U.S. military operations and public tolerance for casualties are based upon a sensible weighing of benefits and costs that is influenced heavily by consensus (or its absence) among political leaders. When such agreement is missing, even low costs can erode public support for the intervention. In the end, most Americans do not want lives to be sacrificed for any but the most compelling and promising causes, and they rely on their leaders to illuminate just how compelling and promising these causes are.
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Paperback Cover Price: $30.00
Discounted Web Price: $27.00
Pages: 153
ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2370-5
Contents
Preface PDF
Figures PDF
Tables PDF
Summary PDF
Acknowledgments PDF
Abbreviations PDF
Chapter One:
Introduction PDF
Chapter Two:
The Bases of Support PDF
Chapter Three:
Polarization over Commitment PDF
Chapter Four:
Leadership Consensus and Dissensus PDF
Chapter Five:
Conclusions PDF
Appendix:
Public Opinion Data PDF
Bibliography PDF
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