The United States is engaged in what looks like an endless war in Afghanistan, and we are in the process of cranking up military action in Iraq and Syria. That makes it valid to ask -- are we a nation of hawks? Do we like the idea of using military power to solve our problems? A recent CNN / ORC Poll decided to try and answer that question. They surveyed a random national sample of 1,055 adults between September 25th and 28th (and the survey had a 3 point margin of error).
First, let me define what the survey considered to be a hawk or a dove.
HAWK -- believes military force should be used frequently to promote U.S. policy.
DOVE -- believes the U.S. should rarely or never use military force.
A small, but significant, majority of Americans consider themselves to be doves (50% to 45%). Several demographic groups also fell into the dove category by significant margins -- women (by 15 points), non-whites (by 17 points), 18 to 34 year-olds (by 34 points), those making under $50k (by 8 points), those making over $50k (by 5 points), those with a college education (by 16 points), Democrats (by 23 points), and Independents (by 19 points).
But there were also several demographic groups that considered themselves to be hawks -- men (by 5 points), 35 to 49 year-olds (by 6 points), 50 to 64 year-olds (by 5 points), those 65 & older (by 12 points), those without a college education (by 9 points), and Republicans (by a whopping 44 points).
I don't know about you, but I find it very troubling that 45% of Americans are very willing to use military force to spread American policy around the world. I think they are misguided. Military force can be helpful in defending ourselves from an attack by another nation, but when used to promote policy I think it creates more enemies than friends -- enemies that will strike back as soon as they are able.
I have to admit I was a little surprised at the respondent answers to the other question in the survey (illustrated in the chart below). They asked the respondents if they considered President Obama to be a hawk or a dove. I would have thought people would consider the president to be a hawk (as I do). After all, he has been very quick to use military force in many areas of the world (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, etc.).
But the public views the president as a dove, by a 36 point margin (65% to 29%). And every single demographic group agrees with that assessment by a large margin -- both those who consider themselves to be doves and those who consider themselves to be hawks. It makes me wonder just how many countries he would have to use military force in to be considered a hawk.
