A recent poll showed that about 25% of respondents identified as conservative, while 35% said they were liberal. This means that the military is slightly more conservative than the general population.
However, it’s important to remember that not all conservatives are alike. For example, fiscal conservatives want to reduce government spending, and social conservatives want to promote traditional values. Here’s what you need to know about what percentage of the US military is conservative.
What Does Being “Conservative” Mean
Before we go into the details of the proportion of the conservative US military, let’s define “conservative.”
This part will be extremely beneficial if you do not already know.
“Conservative” is an adjective that favors private ownership, free business, and socially conventional values, according to the Oxford Languages Dictionary. Conservative synonyms include right-wing, traditionalist, and reactionary.
But what precisely does this mean? Conservatives believe in preserving institutions, notably the parliamentary system, organized religion, and property rights. They often oppose modernization and desire a “return” to traditional values.
This means conservatives favor current institutions and circumstances or desire to restrict change to restore established ones. The Republican Party is the political party associated with conservatism.
The word “conservative” first appeared in print in 1818, during the Bourbon Restoration.
The difficulty in comprehending conservatism is that there is no clearly defined “conservative” collection of policies. The definition of conservatism varies based on the idea of tradition in a given period and location.
As a result, despite having “conservative beliefs,” some conservatives may disagree. The concept of a conservative is no longer what it once was.
There are subcategories of conservatism according to the “variety,” such as:
- Neoconservatives: Those who claim that government taxes and regulation of private industry stifle economic progress.
- Paleoconservatives: the Old Right successors consider neoconservatives socially liberal and imperialistic in international affairs.
- Religious rights: Individuals and organizations such as the Christian Coalition
Conservative is sometimes contrasted with “liberal,” which is described as advocating for democracy, civil freedoms, and individual rights. Liberals often advocate progressive changes, especially those that promote greater economic and social equality.
We can now move on to conservative in the military context that we have a strong understanding of what “conservative” means in our key inquiry.
Is the Military Conservative or Liberal
1. 2018 – Military Times Article
A 2018 Military Times story shows that around 45 percent of questioned soldiers expect to vote for Republican politicians. So, what percentage of the military is republican? However, more than two-thirds of respondents are not registered with the party and do not figure in the republican military proportion.
On the other hand, around 28 percent want to vote for US military political demographics, even though just one-fifth of the military is a Democrat. As a result, we might suppose that a greater proportion of the military is conservative.
These findings were from research done by the Military Times and Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families from September 20 to October 2. (IVMF). It was a voluntary but secret online survey for United States military personnel, including 19 questions about the country’s current political atmosphere, policy, and national security.
Active-duty personnel provided 892 replies. More precisely, 89% were male, and 11% were female, with an average age of 31. The respondents identified as 76 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 9 percent African American, 5 percent Asian, and 6 percent other ethnicities, with the option of selecting more than one race. The margin of error in the research was around 2%.
2. 2009 – Gallup Article
According to a Gallup poll from 2009, most veterans of all ages are Republicans. The conclusion was derived from an analysis of over 138,000 interviews conducted by the newspapers’ Poll Daily tracking beginning in January 2009. Only 29% identified as Democrats. Although this cannot be directly translated into a percentage of the military political affiliation being Democratic, it does imply a lean towards the Republican party.
3. 2015 – Washington Post Article
A 2015 Washington Post story may also provide information on conservatives in various military services. Using statistics from the Federal Election Commission on donations to political parties, the graphic shows that the Marines and Air Force are substantially more conservative than the Navy and Army.
This is also widely agreed upon by people on community forums, Reddit, and Quora, all of which have lengthy discussions on the subject. However, there is no particular updated report on the military’s most conservative arm.
4. 2020 – Bloomberg Article (Ft. The Military Times)
However, the military’s slant toward the political party affiliation by military branch was thought to have shifted in 2020. According to Guy Snodgrass in a Bloomberg article, “the military’s tilt toward the Republican Party has flipped under the Trump administration, particularly among those with knowledge of the government’s operations in intelligence, military, and foreign affairs.”
In this year’s Military Times survey, what percentage of soldiers are conservative? Active-duty soldiers preferring a Republican candidate fell from 46 percent in 2017 to 38 percent in 2020.
According to Jon Soltz, an Army veteran and the head of VoteVets, a 700,000-member progressive-leaning veterans’ political advocacy group, “the stereotype that veterans and military are disproportionately Republican is no longer accurate.”
Many military officers have openly condemned Trump, the Republican Party’s representative at the time. Many people see this as an indication of “fewer conservatives” or, at the very least, a reduction in the prevalence of conservative ideas in the military.
A petition signed by 780 former military commanders, including retired Air Force General Paul Selva, former Defense Secretaries Ash Carter and Chuck Hagel, and others, expressly uses the phrase “denounce.”
Read more: Active Duty Vs Reserve
FAQs
What percentage of the military is made up of minorities?
Racial and ethnic minority groups made up 40% of active-duty military personnel in the Defense Department in 2015, up from 25% in 1990. (In 2015, racial or ethnic minorities made up 44 percent of all Americans aged 18 to 44.)
Which military branch has the most minorities?
The Army stands out in this regard, with 45.2 percent minority personnel. The Marine Corps comes in second with 39.9 percent, while the Navy comes in third with 36.0 percent. The Air Force and Coast Guard have 26.5 and 18.1 percent senior enlisted minority representation.
Who has the largest army in the world?
China
Regarding the number of active troops, China possesses the world’s biggest army.
What percentage of the US Navy is Black?
8.1 percentage points
According to a 2019 Congressional Research Service analysis, African Americans make up nearly 13% of the US population, while only about 8.1 percent of naval officers are Black.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is difficult to say definitively what percentage of the US military is conservative. However, based on the available data, a significant minority are conservative, and a small but not insignificant proportion is very conservative. Thanks for reading.
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