U.S. Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Findings from the 2010 Chicago Council Survey

On September 16, the Brookings Institution and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs hosted the launch of the Council’s 2010 public opinion survey on American attitudes toward current U.S. foreign policies. Steven Kull and Benjamin Page, the lead researchers on the Council’s survey team, presented the survey findings. A panel discussion followed, featuring Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Tom Mann, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The Chicago Council survey dates back to 1974 and is one of the most comprehensive measures of U.S. public opinion toward foreign policy. The 2010 survey polled more than 2,500 Americans on over one hundred questions on various aspects of U.S. foreign policy. Contrary to some other polls indicating that Americans have taken an isolationist turn, the Council’s survey shows that internationalism remains alive and well in the United States, although it is increasingly constrained by economic troubles at home and emerging multipolarity abroad.

Martin Indyk, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, moderated the discussion. After the program, the panelists took audience questions.

Read the full 2010 Chicago Council public opinion survey (PDF) »