TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Poutvaara, Panu
AU  - Wagener, Andreas
        TI  - The Political Economy of Conscription
        PY  - 2009/Sep/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 4429
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp4429
        AB  - Though in decline recently, military conscription is still a widely used mode of staffing armies. Since not many valid economic, social or military arguments in favor of the draft can be put forward, the question emerges why societies choose to rely on it. In this survey we explain the political allure of military conscription by its specific intra- and intergenerational incidence as a tax. From a public choice perspective, there is always a vast majority of people in favor of the introduction and maintenance of military draft, as compared to a professional army. Empirical evidence for this conclusion appears to be mixed, however. Political preferences with respect to conscription involve concerns about its unfairness and questionable record on social accounts. Special interests may also matter.
        KW  - fairness
KW  - dynamic costs
KW  - military draft
KW  - public choice
KW  - taxation
        ER  -