Defense & National Security

Summary of Findings The public is more optimistic over the situation in Iraq as a result of that nation’s recent elections, but remains skeptical of the Bush administration’s decision to go to war. Moreover, the elections have not improved opinions of President Bush’s handling of Iraq. The survey, largely completed before the president’s European trip, […]

Attitudes towards the war in Iraq are more negative among Latinos than in the general population, according to a survey conducted as President George W. Bush began his second term.

Summary of Findings This report is an excerpt from chapter one of the book Trends 2005, produced by the Pew Research Center. Public attitudes on national security are now much more strongly associated with partisan affiliation than they were in the late 1990s. A comprehensive study of long-term public values finds that beliefs about national […]

Summary of Findings Six weeks after President Bush’s victory, the divisions that were so apparent in the election show no signs of narrowing. The public remains split over the president’s job performance, the situation in Iraq, and the state of the national economy. But Bush voters are upbeat on all three questions ­ 92% approve […]

10:00am-11:30am Washington, D.C. Speakers: Ambassador Robert A. Seiple (Ret.), Founder and Chairman of the Board, Institute for Global Engagement; co-editor, Religion & Security Colonel Charles P. Borchini, USA (Ret.), Research Fellow, Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities, USMC Moderator: Dr. Pauletta Otis, Senior Fellow in Religion & International Affairs, Pew Forum on Religion & Public […]

As wired Americans increasingly go online for political news and commentary, we find that the internet is contributing to a wider awareness of political views during this year’s campaign season.

10:00am-Noon Washington, D.C. Speakers: J. Bryan Hehir, Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Charles Krauthammer, Columnist, The Washington Post* Walter Russell Mead, Henry Kissinger Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Louise Richardson, Executive Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University […]

Summary of Findings Most Americans think that the United States is winning the war on terrorism, and a solid majority believes that Al Qaeda and related terrorist groups are weaker now than they were before the Sept. 11 attacks. In addition, somewhat more Americans believe the war in Iraq has helped the war on terrorism […]

Overview For the first time since the Vietnam era, foreign affairs and national security issues are looming larger than economic concerns in a presidential election. The Sept. 11 attacks and the two wars that followed not only have raised the stakes for voters as they consider their choice for president, but also have created deep […]

Despite Sen. John Kerry’s military background and his campaign’s concerted efforts to court veterans, he runs no better among this group than Al Gore did four years ago. Based on surveys conducted March, May, June and July, men who have served in the armed forces favor Bush over Kerry by a 49% to 40% margin. […]