The Influence of Political Orientation on Opinion of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

Abstract

Prior to the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, many individuals questioned whether such a policy was appropriate for today's military. As of 2005, 12 years after implementation, it is estimated that the United States Government had spent nearly 95 million dollars to replace the nearly 13,000 service men and women who were discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy (Bender, 2005). While this policy was being debated, and the Obama administration was considering the repeal of this law, the authors of this study asked if support for this policy went beyond traditional political parties and relied more on the respondent's views and beliefs in general. Using a survey methodology, this study examined student perceptions of the law and personal belief regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals. The results suggest that student views do make a difference in distinguishing whether someone supports the policy or not. On average, respondents with more conservative views do seem to have more support for the DADT policy, while, conversely, those with more liberal views appear to show less support overall.