Maintaining Public Support of War

In times of war, maintaining public support is often the most difficult battle.
Describe a specific situation in which maintaining public support in a time of war might not be difficult. Discuss what you think determines when maintaining public support in times of war is difficult and when it is not.
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In order for the US to maintain war efforts abroad, the government must receive support from the public. The President alone cannot conduct war--rather, the Congress declares war and funds efforts. The people, in turn, vote for members of Congress who make these decisions. Therefore, if the US wishes to continue war efforts abroad, it must ensure that people understand justifications for war, including the idea that the benefits outweigh the costs.

It is difficult to maintain public support for a war in most cases. After all, war necessarily involves the sacrifice of human life. The justification for maintaining a war must outweigh the loss of soldiers serving in the armed forces and to a lesser extent (in the minds of the American people), innocent civilians at the war site. Reasons for going to war must resonate with the people by presenting immediate threat to their physical security. For instance, the supposed presence of WMDs in Iraq helped justify the declaration of war against the administration of Saddam Hussein. WMDs, indeed, present a tangible threat on our homeland security. On the other hand, it is difficult for the public to support a cause that does not directly affect the safety of the American people. This includes interventions in humanitarian efforts. The crisis in Darfur is an example where the US public could not justify the loss of servicemen in order to stop genocide.

Maintaining public support of a war becomes especially difficult when the war appears to not be making any strides or when it seems to be moving nowhere. The war effort in Afghanistan was first justified as necessary to preventing groups antagonistic to the US (e.g., Taliban, Al Qaeda) from consolidating power. These terrorist groups presented a direct threat to our homeland security. However, in recent months, the war in Afghanistan has seemed to be going nowhere---that is, gains do not seem to be sufficient. Therefore, public support of the war has declined, which portend challenges to maintaining forces in Afghanistan.

It is easier to gain public support for a war when the war seems to be moving quickly and making strides. Wars that seem to go on indefinitely eventually lose support, while short term missions are more palatable to the public. For instance, the Persian Gulf War of the early 90s received support of US citizens. It lasted only a few weeks and also achieved its ostensible objective---that is, preventing Sadaam Hussein from taking over Kuwait and the oil reserves.


Maintaining public support for a war continues to be a difficult game. Leaders supporting the war must be able to make the case for justifying the potential loss of American lives abroad. A public relations campaign may have to manipulate numbers and spin military actions in order to continue sending troops to war. Indeed, convincing the public that the benefits of going to war outweigh the costs presents an ongoing challenge for a government intent on keeping military troops abroad.