Public trust in the military: The Slovenian Armed Forces in a comparative analysis

Abstract

Today, almost as a rule, the military boasts a high level of public trust throughout the world. The Slovenian Armed Forces are among the most trusted institutions in the country. A comparative analysis of the public trust in the military in other countries, however, shows that the level of trust in the Slovenian military is below the global average. In this article, the level of trust in the Slovenian Armed Forces is presented and compared with the public trust in the military in other countries. This article presents the concepts of trust of Almond and Verba, Inglehart, Banfield and other authors, and discusses the level of trust in the military in Slovenia through these concepts. The analysis shows that several factors diminish trust in the military in Slovenian society: from a lack of knowledge and little interest in the military, defense and security matters, to dissatisfaction with political processes.