Policy and Opinion in the Gulf War (American Politics and Political Economy Series) (Hardcover)

~ John Mueller (Author) "The application of public opinion polls to issues of public concern often seems to be a reasonably straightforward process..." (more)
Key Phrases: escalation announcement, resuming military action, limited military involvement, Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia, Persian Gulf (more...)

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Product Description

The Persian Gulf crisis may well have been the most extensively polled episode in U.S. history as President Bush, his opponents, and even Saddam Hussein appealed to, and tried to influence, public opinion. As well documented as this phenomenon was, it remains largely unexplained. John Mueller provides an account of the complex relationship between American policy and public opinion during the Gulf crisis.

Mueller analyzes key issues: the actual shallowness of public support for war; the effect of public opinion on the media (rather than the other way around); the use and misuse of polls by policy makers; the American popular focus on Hussein's ouster as a central purpose of the War; and the War's short-lived impact on voting. Of particular interest is Mueller's conclusion that Bush succeeded in leading the country to war by increasingly convincing the public that it was inevitable, rather than right or wise.

Throughout, Mueller, author of War, Presidents, and Public Opinion, an analysis of public opinion during the Korean and Vietnam wars, places this analysis of the Gulf crisis in a broad political and military context, making comparisons to wars in Panama, Vietnam, Korea, and the Falklands, as well as to World War II and even the War of 1812. The book also collects nearly 300 tables charting public opinion through the Gulf crisis, making Policy and Opinion in the Gulf War an essential reference for anyone interested in recent American politics, foreign policy, public opinion, and survey research.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 398 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (July 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226545644
• ISBN-13: 978-0226545646
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,350,831 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Policy and Opinion in the Gulf War, July 16, 2001

By	Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Mueller calls the Kuwait War "the mother of all polling events," and backs up this contention with hundreds of surveys on the subject. These telephone polls have their limitations, generated as they were for immediate media use, not systematic academic inquiry. Still, their sheer profusion provides insights not usually possible.

Mueller's main conclusion is that "The opinion dynamic that probably helped Bush most was a growing fatalism about the war." The sense of inevitability he says, fueled the feeling that the fighting might as well be gotten over with. Trouble is, the author displays such immaturity (sarcastically using such phrases "our glorious military," "our gallant, and presumably virginal, men and women in the service") that most readers will find themselves unsure how much to trust his judgment. Indeed, Mueller's hostility to the American war effort significantly detracts from the authority of his conclusions.

Nearly every polling organization in the United States contributed to the 289 tables at the back of the book. Having them all in one place permits the reader completely to bypass Mueller's interpretations and ponder the data for himself. One fascinating poll shows that at the exact end of the war, only 38 percent of Americans thought the war was not a victory if Saddam Husayn remained in power; and that this figure steadily increased to 69 percent one and a half years later. This shift in attitudes goes far to explain why the war, far from helping George Bush's reelection effort, probably ended up hurting it.

Middle East Quarterly, September 1994