Welcome: Mapping the Debate

As leading experts on gays in the military and the only think tank solely devoted to the "don't ask, don't tell" [DADT] policy, the Palm Center has amassed experience with the arguments on every side of the debate over openly gay military service. (See Palm Center Publications for our published Research Studies.)

Using the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC)'s Public concept mapping or Cmap Tools, the Palm Center's former Research Director, Dr. Jeanne Scheper and the Palm Center's Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Nathaniel Frank mapped the key arguments related to the gays in the military debate.

Here you will find PDF versions of the argument concept maps.

Dr. Jeanne Scheper, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Nathaniel Frank, Senior Research Fellow, Palm Center

CMAPS BY TOPIC

Overview: 10 Major Arguments on DADT

1. Unit Cohesion

2. Privacy

3. Morality

4. Recruitment, Retention, & Reputation

5. Military Opinon

6. Health

7. Harassment | Sexual Predation

8. Public Opinion and Democratic Values

9. Foreign Militaries

10. Financial Costs