Public Opinion and the Use of Force

Social Science of War

Every four years, Americans choose a new commander-in-chief. US presidents have significant authority to use force, manage a global network of alliances and partnerships, as well as direct American grand strategy. How do voters decide who they want to be commander-in-chief? To explore that question, Dr. Alexandra Chinchilla is joined on this episode by three guests who have studied and written extensively about it. Dr. Jeffrey Friedman is an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College and author of The Commander in Chief Test. Dr. Kori Schake is the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a former senior official in the State and Defense Departments and at the National Security Council, and coeditor of Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military. And Dr. Andrew Payne is a lecturer in foreign policy and security at City, University of London and the author of War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War.

The views expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect those of the United States Military Academy, the US Army, or any agency of the US government.