A majority of Americans are concerned about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, believe it was an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and think it was an act of terrorism, according to new results from the latest NBC News poll. But attitudes about the attack […] Read more »
Americans’ harsh judgment on Afghanistan costs Biden’s approval, down to 41%
Was the longest war worth it? After two decades of combat, Americans by more than 2-1 say the war in Afghanistan, launched in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, wasn’t worth it. In a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, 3 of 4 predict the Taliban-led country will once again become […] Read more »
Biden job approval falls; handling of troop removal is negative but support for withdrawal remains
Most Americans have wanted to withdraw from Afghanistan for a while, and most still do. But not like this. Public reaction to what’s happened there is decidedly negative, with Americans now fearing wider repercussions from a heightened threat of terrorism. Back home, the public weighs in with rough judgments on […] 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As U.S. forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, most Americans – Republicans and Democrats – think the war in Afghanistan was “not worth fighting.”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 »
Americans Split on Whether Afghanistan War Was a Mistake
As the U.S. military continues its drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly divided in their views on whether it was a mistake for the U.S. to send troops into the country nearly 20 years ago. This is in contrast with most of the readings over the past two […] Read more »