Security and Defence Policy Opinions in Germany 2016

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 2016, this study was continued. For this purpose, N = 2.295 persons were interviewed on various issues from May 17, 2016 until May 19, 2016. The present survey focused in particular on population´s threat perception and sense of security, personal attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces, the perception of the Federal Armed Forces as an attractive employer, and the population´s knowledge of the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces, their number of personnel, and the level of defense expenditures.<br>1. Security and threat perception: assessment of the current security situation worldwide and in the Federal Republic of Germany and personal sense of security (split); sense of threat from: Job loss or difficulty in finding a job, insufficient financial security in old age, worldwide climate change due to global warming, major natural disasters, war in Europe, terrorist attacks in Germany, worldwide spread of a dangerous disease or epidemic, xenophobia in Germany, religious fundamentalism in Germany, immigration to Germany, rising prices, crime in the personal environment, malfunction in a nuclear power plant, tensions between the West and Russia, conflict in Iraq and Syria, Internet attack on infrastructure in Germany).

2. Security policy attitudes: increase vs. decrease in Germany´s responsibility at the international level; preference for an active vs. passive German international policy; agreement with various instruments of German foreign and security policy (development aid, acceptance of refugees, diplomatic negotiations, economic sanctions, military cooperation, arms deliveries to allied states, combat missions of the Federal Armed Forces, stabilization missions of the Federal Armed Forces, training missions of the Federal Armed Forces, police missions); agreement with various statements on foreign and security policy (war necessary under certain conditions, in international crises economic power is more important than military power, Germany should play a more active role in world politics, German protection of interests most likely through non-interference in the affairs of other states, in an international crisis Germany and its allies should agree on a common stance, Germany should ensure its security primarily on its own, in foreign policy matters Germany should act in concert with the United States, Germany should be more assertive in representing its interests to the US; the federal government should be able to act alone in military matters without the involvement of the Bundestag; Bundeswehr soldiers should only be sent on missions with the approval of the Bundestag; Germany should engage in security and defense policy primarily together with the states of the EU; the EU should act as an independent defense and security policy actor; Germany should engage in security and defense policy primarily in NATO; Germany must continue to be a member of NATO to ensure its security); attitudes toward NATO, alliance defense, and Russia (concerns about a new ´Cold War´ between Russia and the West, Germany should limit its economic relations with Russia, Germany should have more understanding of Russia´s position, Russia´s military action in Ukraine or in Syria threatens Germany´s security, NATO should strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe).

3. Attitude toward the Federal Armed Forces: associations with the Federal Armed Forces (open); personal attitude toward the Federal Armed Forces; importance of the Federal Armed Forces for Germany; reputation of the Federal Armed Forces by the respondent; reputation of the Federal Armed Forces by most other people in Germany; degree of recognition by the respondent and in our country for the service of soldiers; evaluation of the Federal Armed Forces with regard to: Its performance at home and abroad, equipment and armament, integration of the Federal Armed Forces into society, public appearance, and the training of soldiers; institutional trust (public schools, German Bundestag, statutory pension insurance, political parties, Federal Employment Agency, trade unions, Federal Constitutional Court, statutory health insurance, Federal Armed Forces, police, Protestant Church, Catholic Church, Federal Criminal Police Office, Federal Intelligence Service, Federal Government, Office for the Protection of the Constitution); reasons for trust or for lack of trust in the Federal Armed Forces (open); perception of the Federal Armed Forces in the last 12 months on the following occasions: in everyday life, at public events, conversations with friends, relatives or colleagues, on TV broadcasts or on the radio, articles on the Internet, and reports in newspapers and magazines; personal impression of the Federal Armed Forces on the respective occasions; perception of media coverage of the Federal Armed Forces in general; sufficient efforts by the Federal Armed Forces to remain in contact with society; appropriate measures taken by the Federal Armed Forces to improve contact with society; agreement with various statements about the Federal Armed Forces (it goes without saying that Germany has its own armed forces, Federal Armed Forces are a normal part of society, feeling of inner connection with the Federal Armed Forces, contributes to protecting our liberal system of values, feeling of gratitude for the Federal Armed Forces, embodies central values of our society such as freedom or justice).

4. Perceived attractiveness of the Federal Armed Forces as an employer: perceived attractiveness of the Federal Armed Forces as an employer for young people; impression of increased efforts by the Federal Armed Forces as an attractive employer; reasons for this impression; perception of the Federal Armed Forces´ attractiveness program; perception of the Federal Armed Forces´ advertising efforts under the slogan ´Do what really matters´; opinion of the Federal Armed Forces as an employer (would recommend the Federal Armed Forces as an employer, would speak positively about the Federal Armed Forces in conversations about career choices, would encourage friends to apply to the Federal Armed Forces, would advise against the Federal Armed Forces as an employer, would recommend the Federal Armed Forces as an employer to a family member).

5. Tasks of the Federal Armed Forces: level of defense spending and personnel levels: preferences regarding the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces (e.g., repel a military attack on Germany, maintain peace and order within Germany, participate in the fight against international terrorism, etc.); preferences regarding the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces in Germany (disaster relief, missing person search, border security against illegal immigrants, monitoring of public buildings against terrorist attacks, monitoring of German airspace, etc.). ); preferences regarding the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces in Germany (disaster relief, search for missing persons, border security against illegal immigrants, protection of public buildings against terrorist attacks, surveillance of German airspace and coastline to prevent terrorist attacks, support for the reception of refugees); opinion on increasing defense spending; opinion on increasing the number of Federal Armed Forces soldiers.

6. Foreign missions of the Federal Armed Forces: perception of various foreign missions of the Federal Armed Forces (ISAF follow-up mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan, KFOR mission in Kosovo, ATALANTA mission off the coast of Somalia, UNIFIL mission off the coast of Lebanon, EUTM mission in Mali, sea rescue mission in the Mediterranean, training mission of Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, counterterrorism mission in Syria, MINUSMA mission in Mali) and agreement with Federal Armed Forces participation in the respective foreign missions; self-assessment of informedness about Federal Armed Forces missions abroad.

7 Political interest, media use, political participation and preferences: frequency of use of various media in everyday life (television, newspapers and magazines, radio, Internet); interest in politics in general; interest in defense policy; internal efficacy (trust me to play an active role in a group dealing with defense policy issues, generally little knowledge of the Federal Armed Forces, good understanding of defense policy issues, defense policy is too complicated); left-right self-ranking; party preference (Sunday question).

8. Knowledge of the Federal Armed Forces: number of Federal Armed Forces soldiers serving abroad (open); knowledge of the current Federal Minister of Defense; Federal Armed Forces forces primarily entrusted with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL); approval required from which institution prior to an armed foreign deployment of the Federal Armed Forces; knowledge regarding employment (area of deployment) and careers of women in the Federal Armed Forces; number of Federal Armed Forces soldiers currently serving in the Federal Armed Forces (open).

Demography: sex; age; personal connection to the Federal Armed Forces (respondent is/was in the Federal Armed Forces, close relative/member of circle of friends or acquaintances was/was. is in the Federal Armed Forces, location of Federal Armed Forces close to home, Federal Armed Forces disaster deployment close to home); family status; household size; number of children under 16 in household; highest level of education; employment status; full-time or part-time employment; occupation if not employed; net household income; citizenship; country of birth Germany; country of birth if born abroad; country of birth of parents; country of birth of mother and father if born abroad (migration background).

Additionally coded were: ID; date of interview; duration of interview in minutes; place size (BIK, political); state; weighting factors; split identifier.