The last UK combat troops have left Afghanistan, as polls suggest more than half of UK and US respondents do not think the operation was “worthwhile”. The BBC polls found that 68% in the UK said involvement was not worthwhile, while in the US, 51% said it was not. CONT. […] Read more »
Tea Party Republicans Highly Motivated to Vote in Midterms
Although the Tea Party has not been as visible in this year’s midterm elections as it was in 2010, Tea Party Republicans have given more thought to this year’s elections and are much more motivated to vote than are non-Tea Party Republicans or other Americans. About one in four Americans […] Read more »
Support for U.S. Campaign against ISIS; Doubts about Its Effectiveness, Objectives
The public continues to support the U.S. military campaign against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria. But most Americans say the U.S. military effort against ISIS is not going well, and just 30% think the U.S. and its allies have a “clear goal” in taking military action. CONT. Pew Read more »
More Americans Back U.S. Ground Troops in ISIS Fight
More Americans now say that they believe U.S. military action against ISIS should include American combat troops on the ground, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. CONT. Carrie Dann, NBC News Read more »
66% Favor Airstrikes Against ISIS, but 52% Oppose US Sending Ground Troops
The latest Reason-Rupe poll finds 66 percent of Americans favor airstrikes against Islamic State militants, also known as ISIS, in Iraq and Syria, while 28 percent oppose. However, committing ground troops is far more controversial. A slim majority—52 percent—opposes sending ground troops to combat ISIS, while 43 percent would support […] Read more »
How sensationalist TV stories on terrorism make Americans more hawkish
… Political and media observers, particularly on the left, worry that media coverage of the Islamic State is terrifying Americans and persuading them to support foreign policies and candidates that they would otherwise not support. Political science suggests that their fears are warranted. My own research – conducted in the […] Read more »