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As U.S. forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, most Americans – Republicans and Democrats – think the war in Afghanistan was “not worth fighting.”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 »

Support for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan — and for Biden’s foreign policy — tumbles as Taliban takes control

Amid the swift and sudden collapse of Afghanistan this week — and widespread coverage of the chaos that has engulfed the war-weary country as the Taliban seized control again — support for both the long-planned withdrawal of U.S. forces and for President Biden’s handling of foreign policy has declined significantly, […] Read more »

Americans are conflicted on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan

A recent Ipsos poll for Reuters conducted on Monday, August 16, finds that 50% of all Americans support sending troops back into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, and 73% support America evacuating Afghans who helped US forces, to the United States. However, 61% also support the United States completing its […] Read more »

Support for Afghanistan withdrawal plummets as Taliban seize control

Support for the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan dropped 20 percentage points from April to August as the Taliban takeover of the country accelerated, according to a Morning Consult/POLITICO poll. The poll, conducted from Aug. 13-16 among a sample of 1,999 registered voters, indicated that just 25 percent of American […] 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 »