Report Defense

Poll: Nearly Seven in 10 Active Service Members Have Witnessed Politicization in U.S. Military

January 30, 2023 1 min read Download Report

Elizabeth Fender

Director, Marketing

Elizabeth Fender serves as Director of Marketing at The Heritage Foundation.

Summary

A new survey of active U.S. military members reveals that 68 percent have witnessed some or a significant level of politicization in the military, and 65 percent of those polled say that it is a concern. Of all the issues polled, policies that allow unrestricted military service by transgender individuals were of greatest concern for active military members, with eight in 10 (80 percent) saying that it decreased their trust in the military somewhat or a great deal. The results could have implications for the future of the military. Seven in 10 active military members (68 percent) said that politicization would somewhat or significantly affect their decision to encourage their children to join the military.

Key Takeaways

Seven in 10 active military members (68 percent) have witnessed some, or a significant level of, politicization in the military.

Nearly as many active-duty military members (65 percent) are somewhat or very concerned about this development.

Seven in 10 (68 percent) also said that politicization would somewhat or significantly affect their decision to encourage their children to join the military.

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Methodology

Data collection was undertaken by the sample and data experts at Maru/Blue between December 12 and 19, 2022, among a random selection of 1,000 American adults aged 18+ and an additional sample of 299 young Americans aged 18 to 24, who are Maru Springboard America online panelists. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of each size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 3.1 percent (n=1000) and +/- 5.7 percent (n=299), 19 times out of 20. The results have been weighted by education, age, gender, and region to match the population according to U.S. Census data, which ensures that the sample is representative of the entire adult population of the United States. An additional sample of active military personnel (n=301 +/- 5.7 percent) was included to complete the study sample frame.