This Article Full Text (PDF) Dataset References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Voeten, E. Articles by Brewer, P. R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Public Opinion, the War in Iraq, and Presidential Accountability

Department of Political Science and International Affairs, The George Washington University

Paul R. Brewer

Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

How do citizens hold their leader accountable during an ongoing war? The authors distinguish between two models of accountability—the "decision maker" and "managerial" models—and investigate their implications in the context of the current war in Iraq. They employ a novel measurement model and a database of survey marginals to estimate weekly time series of aggregate beliefs about various aspects of the war. Consistent with the "decision maker" model, they find that shifts in aggregate support for the war have a greater impact on presidential approval than do equivalent shifts in perceptions of war success or approval of the president’s handling of the war. Conversely, aggregate perceptions of success are more responsive to casualties and key events than are aggregate beliefs about the war’s merits. This suggests that the link from casualties and events to presidential approval is less direct than previously assumed.

Key Words: Iraq • public opinion • casualties • accountability • president

Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 50, No. 6, 809-830 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0022002706291054


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Goble and P. M. Holm Breaking Bonds?: The Iraq War and the Loss of Republican Dominance in National Security Political Research Quarterly, June 1, 2009; 62(2): 215 - 229. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. M. Russett Democracy, War and Expansion through Historical Lenses European Journal of International Relations, March 1, 2009; 15(1): 9 - 36. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. A.M. Davies Strategic Cooperation, the Invasion of Iraq and the Behaviour of the `Axis of Evil', 1990--2004 Journal of Peace Research, May 1, 2008; 45(3): 385 - 399. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. L. Sullivan Sustaining the Fight: A Cross-Sectional Time-Series Analysis of Public Support for Ongoing Military Interventions Conflict Management and Peace Science, April 1, 2008; 25(2): 112 - 135. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. C. Eichenberg, R. J. Stoll, and M. Lebo War President: The Approval Ratings of George W. Bush Journal of Conflict Resolution, December 1, 2006; 50(6): 783 - 808. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W. A. Boettcher III and M. D. Cobb Echoes of Vietnam?: Casualty Framing and Public Perceptions of Success and Failure in Iraq Journal of Conflict Resolution, December 1, 2006; 50(6): 831 - 854. [Abstract] [PDF]