---
"title": "Civil War: What’s in a Name?"
"description": "IrA mostly insiders-only debate about whether Iraq is in a state of civil war broke out into the open last week when two major news organizations announced that they would henceforth refer to the conflict as a civil war. According to polling in September by the Pew Research Center, much of the public had already […]"
"date": "2006-12-06"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Pew Research Center"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2006/12/06/civil-war-whats-in-a-name-2/"
"categories":
  - "War & International Conflict"
---

# Civil War: What’s in a Name?

IrA mostly insiders-only debate about whether Iraq is in a state of civil war broke out into the open last week when two major news organizations announced that they would henceforth refer to the conflict as a civil war. According to polling in September by the Pew Research Center, much of the public had already reached that conclusion. By a 50%-to-37% margin, more Americans said the current violence in Iraq was mostly a civil war than said it was mostly an insurgency aimed at the United States and its allies.

[Read the full analysis at pewresearch.org](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/2006/12/06/civil-war-whats-in-a-name/)