Security and Defence Policy Opinions in Germany 2010, Partial Study 2

Since 1996, the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr (ZMSBw) has conducted a representative survey of the German population on defense and security policy issues on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defense. In 2010, this study was continued. For this purpose, N = 1200 persons were interviewed on various issues from October 27, 2010 until November 28, 2010. The present survey focused in particular on security and threat perceptions, basic security policy attitudes, perceptions of Germany´s role in the world, perceptions and evaluations of the Federal Armed Forces, attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces´ missions abroad, defense spending and the size of the armed forces, attitudes of German citizens toward compulsory military service, attitudes toward the ESDP and NATO, attitudes toward the discussions on downsizing the Federal Armed Forces, and German citizens´ interest in security policy and media usage.<br>1. Attitude towards the reform of the Federal Armed Forces: perception of discussions about reform of the Federal Armed Forces; associations with reform of the Federal Armed Forces (open); reform of the Federal Armed Forces necessary vs. unnecessary; most important reform measure as Minister of Defence (open); attitude towards discussions about a reduction of the Federal Armed Forces; preferred troop strength of the Federal Armed Forces (open); effect of a reduction of the Federal Armed Forces with regard to a strengthened vs. weakened international role of Germany; Federal Armed Forces location in the region; expected closure of the Federal Armed Forces location in the region in the event of a reduction in the size of the Federal Armed Forces; agreement to a reduction in the size of the Federal Armed Forces even in the event of job cuts due to location closures; expected socially acceptable job cuts in the event of a significant reduction in the size of the Federal Armed Forces.

2. Attitude towards compulsory military service: compulsory military service should be retained, suspended or abolished altogether; reasons for this attitude (open); without compulsory military service, the Federal Armed Forces would be cheaper, more expensive, or would cost the same as before; approval of Federal Armed Forces advertising events to recruit personnel, e.g. at schools; approval of the model of voluntary military service under discussion; own willingness to do voluntary military service; reasons for willingness to do voluntary military service or for not being willing to do it (open); reasons for recommending voluntary military service to a family member or friend or why voluntary military service would not be recommended (open); reform efforts of the Federal Armed Forces are going in the right direction; expected greater efficiency of the Federal Armed Forces due to the upcoming reforms.

3. Attitudes towards the foreign missions of the Federal Armed Forces: consent to the fulfilment of various tasks by the Federal Armed Forces (defence of Germany against military attacks from abroad, the fight against international terrorism, evacuation and rescue of German citizens from abroad, securing Germany´s energy and raw materials supply, providing assistance in the event of natural disasters at home and abroad, stabilisation of a crisis region in Central Asia, deployment to protect against terrorism at home); knowledge of the ISAF mission of the Federal Armed Forces in Afghanistan; consent vs. rejection of this foreign mission; knowledge of the suicide attack on Federal Armed Forces soldiers in Afghanistan; personal reaction to the news of the death of a German soldier in this attack (open); demand for immediate withdrawal of Federal Armed Forces troops from Afghanistan and reasons for this withdrawal (open); period of time during which the Federal Armed Forces should remain in Afghanistan; sufficient social recognition for the foreign deployments of the Federal Armed Forces soldiers; appropriate measures to increase social recognition for the Federal Armed Forces soldiers (open); approval of the planned medal for soldiers who were engaged in combat abroad; effects of the Federal Armed Forces deployment in Afghanistan on the security situation in Germany; sufficiently informed vs. desire for more information about the Federal Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan; efforts to obtain additional information; evaluation of the Federal Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan as a success vs. failure; naming two further countries in which the Federal Armed Forces are deployed (open); party affiliation; party identification.

Demography: sex; age; marital status; household size; own children; number of children under 16 years of age; highest educational attainment or desired educational attainment; employment status; employment if not fully employed; net household income (grouped).

Additionally coded: respondent ID; weight.