Parental ID

How does parental identity affect individuals’ attitudes toward war? Existing literature on public support for war offers some explanations as to when the public is more likely to support the use of military force, yet it has largely overlooked an essential factor: parental identity. The shift in identity as parents affects how individuals perceive security threats and their corresponding support for war. Since parents are more cautious of the potential dangers of war that would affect their children, we expect being a parent makes it less likely for individuals to support war. We test our hypothesis by using the World Value Survey Wave 6 (2010-2014). The results show that parenthood decreases the likelihood of expressing support for war even after controlling for other demographic traits and country-year fixed effects. Our findings suggest a need to revisit the gaps in the literature of security studies and public opinion by considering the impact of parenthood.