Faculty Sponsor: Kolby Hanson
Abstract: Public attitude towards war has been empirically studied only through the lenses of potential military interventions. Findings suggest that several factors such as elites’ cues, personal characteristics of the survey respondents, and the perceived legitimacy of military actions influence public opinion. However, little has been done to estimate what factors might shape public potential support for one side over another in the outside conflict. In the past few years, given the Russian-Ukrainian and Israel-Palestine wars, the question “What country do you most sympathize with?” has become particularly important. as it has become a determinant of the sentiments within society. In these conflicts people choose a side and sympathize with just one country. To understand what factors influence public sympathy, we will conduct a survey describing hypothetical wars. According to theoretical literature, just war theory determines the just cause, rightful authority, and proportional means for waging war, as well as guidelines for the humane treatment of combatants and non-combatants. On the other hand, the framing techniques used by the media sources highlight particular individual values within an issue, making the message more persuasive. We predict that the framing of the war, the US endorsement of one of the sides, and war conduct will significantly influence public opinion
Poster-Angelina-Kunitskaia