The Relationship Between the Type of Government and Support for War: Research on Major Wars Fought Since 1965

Abstract

Throughout the history of wars, especially during the 20th century, as wars became a national effort not only limited to the military, public support for wars has been an important factor in a government’s decision to start, continue and end a war. This paper observes major wars that were fought during the second half of the 20th century, up to contemporary times, and examines the relationships between the warring nations’ political systems, and how much support they have received from their people. The paper uses its own scale to measure both variables at play. The paper initially hypothesized that authoritarian states gain more support from their people during times of war, but eventually concluded that there is no significant correlation between the two variables.