Citation

Torgler B. Def. Peace Econ. 2003; 14(4): 261-280.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10242690302929

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The intention of this paper is to analyse why people go to war, despite the, at first sight, divergence between benefits and costs. This paper provides a comparison of the willingness to go to war in different OECD countries using World Values Survey data. The empirical findings in the United States, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and West Germany, using the willingness to fight as a dependent variable, indicate that such factors as pride, trust, and political ideology significantly influence individuals' willingness to go to war.