Shaping Security

The Rising Influence of Public Attitudes on Defence Policies

Abstract

The main purpose of this discussion article is to provide insight into and highlight the growing importance of citizen attitudes on security policy related issues, a largely neglected area in both public opinion and international relations research. In this article, we reflect on the role of public opinion in decision making regarding security issues and the important role it plays in policy formation in democratic states. We believe that the discussion around security attitudes is imperative not only for one’s own national defence, but also for increasing our knowledge of how solidarity can be sustained within Western democracies. This discussion article takes up some of these issues and reflects on where they might be leading, not only for Finland and Sweden, but also for Nordic cooperation and NATO in the near future.