Description:

Please join the American Politics Workshop as they host PhD Candidate Jennifer Lin for a practice job talk.

Military officers make decisions and advise civilian elected representatives on the best course of action for combat missions. The officers serve the people and ought to make decisions that are reflective of the national interest. The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is one way officers are trained. How do the attitudes of participants in ROTC  compare to civilian college students? In this paper, I explore the content of ROTC training and hypothesize about how training can connect with students’ attitudes. I find that ROTC students share the same respect for democratic norms as their civilian counterparts. However, they are more open minded to new experiences, patriotic, and have a greater propensity to take risks. These dynamics stem from more patriotic and open-minded students opting to participate (selection), and the training itself contributing to more patriotism and open-mindedness (socialization). The implication is that military training matters but in a nuanced manner.

Jennifer Lin is Ph.D. Candidate at the Department of Political Science at Northwestern University. Her research interests are in American Politics and International Relations. She studies civil-military relations, military professionalism, urban-rural politics, public opinion, social networks and political engagement. Her research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, Political Science Research and Methods, American Politics Research, and Journal of American Medical Association – Network Open.

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