Study title

Since 1996, the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr (ZMSBw) has conducted a representative survey of the German population on defense and security policy issues on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defense. In 2011, this study was continued. For this purpose, N = 1450 persons were interviewed on various issues from November 3, 2011 until November 17, 2011. The present survey focused in particular on opinions on security policy, attitudes towards the Federal Armed Forces, and Foreign deployments of the Federal Armed Forces.1. Security policy opinion, attitudes towards the Federal Armed Forces: institutional trust (public schools, German Bundestag, statutory pension insurance, political parties, Federal Employment Agency, trade unions, Federal Constitutional Court, statutory health insurance, Federal Armed Forces, police, Protestant Church, Catholic Church, Federal Criminal Police Office, Federal Intelligence Service, Federal Government); personal sense of security; feeling of being threatened by: Reduction of social benefits, loss of job or not being able to find a job, terrorist attacks in Germany, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons in the hands of terrorists, military attack on Germany, worldwide climate change due to global warming, criminality in the personal environment, increasing national debt of other European states, failure of the Euro; Preferences with regard to Germany´s security and defence policy orientation (Germany should pursue an active policy and help to overcome problems in the world, should rather concentrate on overcoming its own problems, in security and defence policy Germany should primarily act with its allies, should be as independent as possible in security and defence policy and be able to act alone, Germany should also use military means to solve international crises and conflicts, should primarily use diplomatic means to solve international conflicts, should primarily use its economic power to solve...