The Harris Poll^® #17, February 23, 2007

U.S. Adults Do Not Support Draft for Military or Civilian Service, But Favor Voluntary Service to Support Country

In a recent Harris Poll, nearly three in four (73%) U.S. adults agree that it is important for young people to serve their country, but that this service should be voluntary. When given an array of non-military civilian service opportunities, like tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth, improving health services, building affordable housing, cleaning parks and streams and helping communities respond to disasters or a military option, almost two-thirds of adults (63%) agree that there should be another option in which young people can serve their country.

These are some of the results of a Harris Poll of 2,337 U.S. adults conducted online between January 11 and 18, 2007 by Harris Interactive^®. This survey was conceived and developed by Harris Interactive and was not commissioned by any organization. However, valuable input was sought and received from the National Youth Leadership Council.

Adults are not ready to reinstitute drafting young adults into service –military or civilian. Slightly more than four in 10 adults (43%) support a draft of young adults where they could choose to serve in the military or in non-military civilian service. Only one in four (24%) support a draft for military service and far fewer adults support a draft of young adults only for non-military civilian service (14%). However, over three-quarters (77%) disagree with the concept that it is not important for young people to serve their country.

A majority of adults (55%) support increasing the federal budget to allow everyone who is qualified and wants to serve in full-time service programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to do so. Just under one-third (30%) oppose this idea. Support for increasing the federal budget for these programs is consistent across the generations as well as between the genders. There is also strong support for this idea amongst those who have earned post graduate degrees (64%).

Looking across party lines, somewhat stronger support for increasing the federal budget comes from Democrats (61%) and Independents (59%), than from Republicans (52%). Nevertheless, it appears to have bipartisan support. When we look at political ideology, it is a little different. While two-thirds of Liberals (66%) support an increase in the federal budget, only 44 percent of Conservatives feel the same way.

"What is significant about these results is the agreement across demographic groups and ideological lines. Republicans, Democrats and Independents all support higher funding for non-military civilian service opportunities," said Chris Moessner, Research Director in the Youth and Education Research Practice at Harris Interactive.

Jim Kielsmeier, President and CEO of National Youth Leadership Council offered these comments, "When the need is clear, America’s youth respond. Military enlistments went way up after 9/11. Likewise, the volunteer response by AmeriCorps members and college and high school students to Hurricane Katrina was dramatic. Hundreds of thousands of young people headed to the Gulf Coast to help out – often filling in for deployed National Guard troop. The current generation of draft-eligible youth and their younger counterparts are volunteering at record rates according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the government’s primary volunteer service agency and AmeriCorps manager. An estimated 55 percent of youth ages 12 to 18, about 15.5 million, volunteer."

"On a different issue, presently young people in the United States have opportunities for full-time service in programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. Research has shown that the number of young people serving is inadequate to the demand, and that more young people want to serve than the size of the programs permit. Would you favor or oppose increasing the federal budget to allow everyone who was qualified and who wanted to serve in these programs the ability to do so?

Base: All adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.

"On a different issue, presently young people in the United States have opportunities for full-time service in programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. Research has shown that the number of young people serving is inadequate to the demand, and that more young people want to serve than the size of the programs permit. Would you favor or oppose increasing the federal budget to allow everyone who was qualified and who wanted to serve in these programs the ability to do so?

Base: All adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.

"Opportunities exist for young adults to serve their country, through military or non-military service. Non-military, civilian service includes tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth, improving health services, building affordable housing, cleaning parks and streams, and helping communities respond to disasters. If both military and non-military service offered similar educational and health benefits, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?"

Base: All adults

This Harris Poll^® was conducted online within the United States between January 11 and 18, 2007, among 2,337 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting.

With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 2,337 adults one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- two percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

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