Abstract
The ongoing cooperation between the United States and Poland on ballistic missile defense has been centered for a long time solely around the construction of the U.S. missile defense complex in Redzikowo, Poland. Although the complex is going to operate as an element of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System, its origins were tied to bilateral security and defense cooperation between the U.S. and Poland. As the presence of the U.S. military forces in Poland will remain crucial for Polish security and defense, and the societal support will be vital for its sustainment, it is worth exploring how Polish society reacted to concepts and plans for fielding the U.S. missile defense complex several years ago.
The aim of this article was to explore the evolution of societal support and public opinion in Poland related to the construction of the U.S. missile defense complex in Redzikowo, Poland. The following research problem was posed: how has Polish public opinion about the missile defense complex construction changed over time? The research relied on methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis, and the primary research technique was the analysis of public opinion polls in Poland between 2004 and 2019. Public opinion has remained interested in the developments related to hosting the U.S. missile defense complex in Poland since early negotiations to the project implementation phase. The project was seen in a broader context of security and defense cooperation with the U.S. and within the NATO.
References
NATO. (2021, June). Ballistic missile defence. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49635.htm
Badora, B. (2016). Stosunek do NATO i obecności sojuszniczych wojsk na terenie Pol-ski. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, 99/2016. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2016/K_099_16.PDF
Badora, B. (2018). O stosunkach polsko-amerykańskich i prezydenturze Donalda Trumpa. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, 57/2018. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2018/K_057_18.PDF
Baron, J. & Herzog S. (2020). Public Opinion on Nuclear Energy and Nu-clear Weapons: The Attitudinal Nexus in the United States. Energy Re-search & Social Science 68, Article 101567, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101567
Baumgartner, F.R., & Jones, B.D. (2009). Agendas and Instability in American Poli-tics. University of Chicago Press.
Cieślak, E. (2020). The Development of Poland’s Air Defense System: The Operation-al Context. Safety & Defense, 6(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.37105/sd.44
Downey, G.L. (1986). Risk in Culture: The American Conflict Over Nuclear Power. Cultural Anthropology 1(4), 388–412. https://doi.org/10.1525/can.1986.1.4.02a00020.
Feliksiak, M. (2007). Polacy o tarczy antyrakietowej: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/112/2007. https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2007/K_112_07.PDF
Feliksiak, M. (2008a). Opinia społeczna o tarczy antyrakietowej w Polsce: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/69/2008. https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2008/K_069_08.PDF
Feliksiak, M. (2008b). Polacy o tarczy antyrakietowej. Opinie przed i po podpisaniu umowy ze Stanami Zjednoczonymi: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/153/2008. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2008/K_153_08.PDF
Feliksiak, M. (2008c). Opinie o tarczy antyrakietowej w Polsce: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/188/2008. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2008/K_188_08.PDF
Feliksiak, M. (2009). Opinie Polaków o tarczy antyrakietowej. Centrum Badania Opi-nii Społecznych, BS/128/2009. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2009/K_128_09.PDF
Grudniewicz, A. (2004). Opinie o ewentualnym rozmieszczeniu amerykańskich baz wojskowych na terenie Polski: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecz-nych, BS/23/2004. https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2004/K_023_04.PDF
Joppke, C. (1993). Mobilizing Against Nuclear Energy: A Comparison of Germany and the United States, University of California Press.
Kasperson, R.E., Berk, G., Pijawka D., Sharaf, A.B., & Wood J. (1980). Pub-lic opposition to nuclear energy: retrospect and prospect. Science Tech-nology and Human Values, 5 (2), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/016224398000500203.
Kemp, H. (2020). Strategic Security in Northern Europe: The Implications of Russian Anti-Access/Area Denial Strategies in Developing Complex Threat Environments. Journal of Strategic Security 14(1), 78-91. https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.14.1.1871
Arms Control Association. (2021, May). Fact Sheets & Briefs: Missile Defense Sys-tems at Glance. https://www.armscontrol.org/taxonomy/term/2
Pankowski, K. (2007). Opinie o instalacji amerykańskiej tarczy antyrakietowej w Pol-sce: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/106/2007. https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2007/K_106_07.PDF
Pankowski, K. (2019). Wydarzenie roku 2018 w Polsce i na świecie. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, 1/2019. https://cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2019/K_001_19.PDF
Paterek, A. (2006). Bazy NATO i tarcza antyrakietowa w Polsce?: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/9/2006. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2006/K_009_06.PDF
Rosłan, G. (2018). Obrona powietrzna: Militarne aspekty bezpieczeństwa powietrz-nego Polski. Wydawnictwo BP.
Strzeszewski, M. (2006). Stosunek do ulokowania na terenie Polski bazy antyrakie-towej. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/102/2006.
Strzeszewski, M. (2007). Polacy o tarczy antyrakietowej: Komunikat z badań. Cen-trum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/28/2007. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2007/K_028_07.PDF
Strzeszewski, M. (2008). O udziale polskich żołnierzy w operacjach militarnych za granicą, tarczy antyrakietowej i zagrożeniu terroryzmem: Komunikat z badań. Cen-trum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/31/2008. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2008/K_031_08.PDF
Wenzel, M. (2007). Opinie o instalacji tarczy antyrakietowej w Polsce: Komunikat z badań. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznych, BS/133/2007. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2007/K_133_07.PDF
Zolotukhina, E. (2010). Ballistic Missile Defense: New Plans, Old Challenges. Journal of Strategic Security 3(2), 39-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.3.2.4

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.