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ID173763
Title ProperMilitary know-nothings or (At Least) military know-somethings?
Other Title Informationknowledge of defense policy in Germany and its determinants
LanguageENG
AuthorSteinbrecher, Markus ;  Biehl, Heiko
Summary / Abstract (Note)There is little empirical evidence of the widely shared belief that most civilians know next to nothing about defense policy and armed forces. This article examines knowledge of defense policy in Germany and its determinants. The database is a public opinion survey from 2016. The survey included six questions on various aspects of knowledge of defense policy. Its results show that knowledge of defense policy is approximately on a level with general political knowledge in Germany. Determinants from the categories of resources and sociodemographics, motivations, and opportunity structures explain individual knowledge levels. Internal efficacy, interest in politics, the intention to vote, and the perception of the Bundeswehr’s presence in the media are among the most important predictors. These results indicate that the armed forces can bridge the gap between the public and the military, the civil–military gap, by being present in society and active in personal and mass media communication.
`In' analytical NoteArmed Forces and Society Vol. 46, No.2; Apr 2020: p.302–322
Journal SourceArmed Forces and Society Vol: 46 No 2
Key WordsPolitical Science ;  Public Opinion ;  Public Policy ;  Civil – Military Relations


 
 
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