The Allocation of Death in the Vietnam War: A Public Choice Perspective

Abstract

In this paper we explore a political aspect of military choices in time of war. We do not question the political origin of a military draft; we assume a draft exists. Our interest centers on the following issue: What is the probability that an individual will become a casualty in the war? We model this problem as being influenced by politics in the sense that assignment to combat or non-combat positions can be influenced by political considerations. Simply put, casualties across U.S. states will be a function of the political influence, especially in military affairs, of a state's House and Senate delegations, ceteris paribus. To test this hypothesis, we develop an empirical model of casualties by state over the zenith of the Vietnam War period (1965-1971). The model includes both political influence and relevant demographic variables.