How does the relationship between the US government and society influence decisions on when—and how—to use military force? How do the views of the voting public factor into decision-making about declaring war? What about other operations, like peacekeeping? What are the effects of public opinion when US casualties mount? And how do the views of the American people encourage or constrain the expenditure of resources on the military and its employment in pursuit of foreign policy objectives?

MWI’s research director, Max Margulies, recently joined Carrie Lee on an episode of A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast to explore these questions and more. The fifth episode in an ongoing special series produced in association with the US Army War College’s Civil-Military Relations Center, Max and Carrie’s discussion examines the intersection of public opinion, foreign policy, and the use of the military in the United States.

You can listen to the full episode below, and be sure to visit the War Room to read the insightful articles they publish frequently and find other episodes of the podcast.

Image credit: National Park Service