Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 20 years later, they watched in sorrow as the nation’s military mission in Afghanistan – which began less than a month after 9/11 […] Read more »
Most Americans say the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were not worth fighting
As U.S. forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, most Americans – Republicans and Democrats – think the war in Afghanistan was “not worth fighting.” The AP-NORC survey was conducted August 12 through 16, as Taliban forces quickly swept through the countryside and cities of Afghanistan. The Afghan […] Read more »
Public Opinion on War and Terror: Manipulated or Manipulating?
Leaders, elites, and the media may put ideas on the shelf, but that doesn’t mean people will buy them. And when they do, it may often be best to conclude that the message has struck a responsive chord rather than that the public has been manipulated. As people sort through […] Read more »
New High in Perceptions of China as U.S.’s Greatest Enemy
Forty-five percent of Americans now say China is the greatest enemy of the U.S., more than double the percentage who said so in 2020. That year, Americans were equally as likely to say either China or Russia was the U.S.’s greatest enemy. The current shift coincided with a period when […] Read more »
Trump’s Approval Hits New High, But A Rally-Around-The-Flag Effect Is Small
Asked if he has any regrets about the way he’s handled the coronavirus crisis so far, President Trump said no — and he cited polling to back him up. “No, I think that we’ve handled it really well,” Trump said on Monday. “The American public thinks that we’ve handled it […] Read more »
Iran, North Korea Liked Least by Americans
Of 20 countries rated in Gallup’s 2020 World Affairs survey, 10 receive favorable ratings from a majority of Americans, while an equal number receive unfavorable ratings. Iran’s 11% favorable is the lowest of all, followed closely by North Korea’s 12%. Meanwhile, Canada and Great Britain, at the very top, are […] Read more »