Republicans (43 percent) were more likely to say they can envision a scenario in which they could support a military coup than Democrats (20 percent). Perhaps that difference is related to having a Democratic president who some critics on the right see as overstepping his power."Perhaps?" You may be asking yourself why roughly 3 people in 10 can imagine supporting a military coup. Responses to another question suggest an answer.
According to the same YouGov survey, almost three-quarters (70 percent) of respondents believe that military officers want what is best for the country, while only 29 percent think the same of members of Congress.The U.S. has never had a military coup. Countries which have tolerated coups, sometimes repeatedly, did so when public disgust with politicians reached a fever pitch. We may be less unique than is often claimed.
History suggests that most military officers do want what is best for their country. However, they tend to dislike running a government and aren't good at it because civilian employees don't thrive under military discipline.
