2013-01-28-皮尤-Broad_Support_for_Combat_Roles_for_Women_7页_363kb

Summary of Pew Research Center Report on Women in Combat

Public Opinion Summary

• Combat Roles for Women: 66% of the public supports allowing women in the military to serve in ground units that engage in close combat roles. This is largely unchanged from previous polling.
• Change Perception: 47% believe allowing women into combat roles represents a major change for the U.S. military, while 47% see it as a minor change.
• Military Effectiveness: 58% believe the policy shift will improve opportunities for women in the military, with 30% saying it won't make much difference and 7% saying it will worsen opportunities.
• Military Effectiveness Impact: 29% believe allowing women in combat roles will make military effectiveness better, 15% worse, and 49% no change.

Demographic Breakdowns

• Men vs. Women: 65% of men support, 66% of women support the policy shift.
• Political Alignment: Support is broad across Democrats (76%), Independents (65%), and Republicans (55%). However, the level of support differs among groups, with Democrats showing the highest support.
• Age Groups: Younger Americans (72%) are more supportive than older Americans (52%). Support decreases with age.
• Education: Those with higher education are significantly more supportive (71% for college graduates+).
• Veteran Households: 67% of non-veteran households support the policy, while 63% of veteran households support it.

Key Points on Military Effectiveness

• 49% of the public believes that allowing women in combat roles will "not make much difference" in military effectiveness.
• 29% believe it will improve effectiveness, while 15% believe it will worsen it.
• Democrats are more likely to believe the change improves effectiveness (38%) and have fewer concerns that it will worsen effectiveness (7%). Republicans show a higher concern for increased risk to military effectiveness (29% believe it will be negative).

Additional Insights

• Support for allowing women into combat roles is high across various demographic groups, including among those in veteran households.
• The survey was conducted after the military lifted restrictions on women serving in ground combat units.

Note: The survey methodology and sample data are detailed in the original report, ensuring the findings reflect the U.S. population at the time of the poll.