Mistrusted to Serve? Discrimination in the Military and Its Impact on Public Support

Abstract

Does discrimination in the military erode institutional trust and reduce public support for defense spending and recruitment? We test this through a survey experiment (n = 2,442) examining Canadian public reactions to scenarios highlighting the Canadian Armed Forces’ inclusion challenges for First Nations, Métis and Inuit, Francophones, people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and women. Findings reveal that discrimination scandals significantly erode public trust, reduce support for defense spending, and undermine willingness to recommend military recruitment. Using causal mediation analysis, we demonstrate that discrimination primarily operates through its effect on institutional trust rather than through direct pathways. Crucially, trust functions as a more complete mediator in recruitment decisions than in defense spending, indicating that personnel recruitment depends almost entirely on institutional confidence, while spending support reflects a more complex calculus. Maintaining public trust—particularly trust that the military reflects societal values of inclusion—is essential for sustaining public support necessary for military recruitment and resource mobilization.