The master thesis deals with trust in the Slovenian Armed Forces as a key indicator of its legitimacy and social acceptance. Although the military enjoys a high level of trust in many European countries, the results for Slovenia are often below average. Using a theoretical and empirical approach, the research analyses how historical experiences, political and media discourse, cultural norms and institutional factors influence the perception of the military among the population. The thesis highlights that trust depends not only on the functioning of the institution itself, but also on the wider socio-political environment. Particular emphasis is placed on empirical analysis of public opinion data and comparison with the level of trust in the military in other EU countries. The Slovenian Armed Forces, which performs a number of civilian tasks in addition to defence, faces challenges such as lack of personnel, political instrumentalisation and low budgetary support. The main objectives of the thesis are to identify key factors influencing trust and distrust in the Slovenian Armed Forces, to analyse differences in trust according to demographic factors, to examine the influence of the media on the perception of the Armed Forces, and to assess the stability of trust in the Armed Forces compared to other institutions.
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