Casualties and Consensus: The Historical Role of Casualties in Domestic Support for U.S. Military Operations

by Eric V. Larson

New analysis of public-opinion data reveals the complexities behind American support or opposition to U.S. military operations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0833023705
• ISBN13: 9780833023704
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: RAND Corporation
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Valuable Work on a Common Misconception

This is a splendid little study which tackles the misperception that the U.S. public suffers from a "zero tolerance" attitude when it comes to sustaining casualties in military operations. Larson incorporates a lot of polling data of public opinion during various conflicts (from WWII to Panama, Persian Gulf War, and Somalia) and shows that public support remained surprisingly high. The key is that the public needs to be kept informed, and the administration needs to provide the leadership to convince the public the costs are worth the benefits. While some statistics seem obvious (ie, large numbers of casualties in WWII yet support remained consistently high), other cases are more nuanced. For example, after the "BlackHawk Down" Rangers died in Somalia, public opinion was about evenly split as to whether to stay and exact revenge or to pull out.If you have ever used the phrase "The U.S. just can't take casualties," read this book and you may have to reconsider. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand U.S. foreign policy.