The value of national defense: Assessing public preferences for defense policy options

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2024.102595
• Publication Date: 2024-08-05T19:06:12Z
• Authors: Salmai Qari; Tobias Börger; Tim Lohse; Jürgen Meyerhoff
• Keywords: Value (mathematics)

Defense spending accounts for a large share of the budget in many countries, but value resulting public good - national defense has so far escaped assessment. Much literature instead considered indirect benefits terms greater economic growth or technological spillovers. In this paper, we assess direct welfare effects policy, namely an increase security citizens, by means survey-based discrete choice experiment. Drawing on representative sample German population, results suggest substantial willingness to pay troop numbers, establishment European army and improved air system. The reintroduction compulsory military service does not enjoy support. Results further indicate preference heterogeneity across respondents policy options which explore. As such, these findings demonstrate how methods survey-based, non-market valuation can help refine research area policy.