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Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Army Draft
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States believe the country's citizens should not be required to serve in the armed forces, according to a poll by Gallup released by CNN and USA Today. 85 per cent of respondents say the military draft should not return at this time.
American citizens have been drafted during various armed conflicts, including the two World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The practice of conscription was discontinued in 1973, but the Selective Service System—which registers all adult males to assemble information on potential soldiers—remains in place as a contingency measure.
The U.S. has close to 230,000 soldiers stationed all over the world, not including U.S.-based forces currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. 62 per cent of respondents are opposed to enacting mandatory military training and reserve duty for all adult Americans. This question was last asked by Gallup in 1955, two years after the Korean War ended.
In October 2004, U.S. president George W. Bush issued a statement following calls to reinstate the draft, which read, "America's all-volunteer military is the best in the world, and reinstating the draft would be bad policy."
Polling Data
Do you think the United States should return to the military draft at this time, or not?
Jun. 2005 | Oct. 2003 | |
Yes | 14% | 17% |
No | 85% | 80% |
Would you favour or oppose requiring every able-bodied young man in this country when he reaches the age of 18, to spend one year in military training and then join the reserves?
Jun. 2005 | Dec. 1955 | |
Favour | 35% | 69% |
Oppose | 62% | 23% |
No opinion | 3% | 8% |
Source: Gallup / CNN / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,006 American adults, conducted from Jun. 16 to Jun. 19, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.