Defense & National Security

reportJul 11, 2013

Public Esteem for Military Still High

More than three-quarters of Americans continue to believe that members of the military contribute “a lot” to society’s well-being. By contrast, only 37% say clergy make a big contribution to society, and journalists have dropped the most in public esteem since 2009.
reportJul 11, 2013

Public Esteem for Military Still High

More than three-quarters of U.S. adults (78%) say members of the military contribute “a lot” to society’s well-being, according to a new survey of Americans’ views on various professions. By contrast, just 37% of Americans think the clergy contribute a lot, putting religious leaders well behind teachers, medical doctors, scientists and engineers.
short readsJun 19, 2013

A majority say sexual assaults in the military are individual acts of misconduct, not systemic

A majority of Americans say reports of sexual assaults in the military represent individual acts of misconduct and not underlying problems with military culture.
reportJun 17, 2013

Public Split over Impact of NSA Leak, But Most Want Snowden Prosecuted

Overview The public is divided over whether the leak of classified information about NSA phone and internet surveillance serves the public interest. But a majority says that former government contractor Edward Snowden should be criminally prosecuted. The new national survey, conducted June 12-16 by the Pew Research Center and USA TODAY among 1,512 adults, finds […]
short readsJun 14, 2013

U.S. aid to Syrian rebels: Public has opposed American involvement in the past

Public opinion surveys have consistently shown Americans to have little interest in the Syrian conflict and have been opposed — or lukewarm, at best, — to getting involved.
reportJun 12, 2013

Sexual Assault in the Military Widely Seen as Important Issue, But No Agreement on Solution

Overview A substantial majority of Americans (81%) view sexual assault in the military as an extremely or very important issue. But the public does not believe the problem of sexual assault is a bigger problem in the military than outside it: Just 11% say it is more of a problem inside the military, 23% say […]
reportJun 11, 2013

Global Views of Iran Overwhelmingly Negative

Overview As Iranians prepare to elect a new president, the country’s international image is largely negative. Majorities in most of 39 countries surveyed have an unfavorable opinion of Iran, and most say Tehran does not respect the personal freedoms of its people. Meanwhile, any nuclear ambitions harbored by the Iranian government continue to draw strong […]
reportJun 10, 2013

Majority Views NSA Phone Tracking as Acceptable Anti-terror Tactic

Overview A majority of Americans – 56% – say the National Security Agency’s (NSA) program tracking the telephone records of millions of Americans is an acceptable way for the government to investigate terrorism, though a substantial minority – 41% – say it is unacceptable. And while the public is more evenly divided over the government’s […]
short readsJun 7, 2013

Balancing Act: National Security and Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 Era

Since 9/11, Americans generally have valued protection from terrorism over civil liberties, yet they also have expressed concerns over government overreach and intrusions on their personal privacy.
short readsJun 7, 2013

As It Fights in Syria, Hezbollah Seen Unfavorably in Region

Hezbollah is widely unpopular among publics in the Middle East. Most in Lebanon, which is Hezbollah’s base, have an unfavorable view of it, but opinions differ among religious groups.