The State of American Opinion: The 2026 Chicago Council Survey
John Lapinski and Dina Smeltz unpack what the results of the 2026 Chicago Council survey tell us about Americans’ foreign policy priorities heading into the midterms.
Oct
1
Nam Y. Huh / AP
About This Event
With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, foreign policy is once again part of the national debate, but how much will it shape voters’ choices this fall? For more than five decades, the Chicago Council Survey has tracked Americans’ views on alliances, trade, immigration, and the use of military force. As voters head to the polls in November, what does the data reveal about how Americans want their country to engage with the world? And where does that vision align, or clash, with what Washington is doing? Join us for the release of this year’s Chicago Council survey and a conversation with Dina Smeltz on what public opinion means in this critical election year.
About the Speakers
Managing Director & Chair, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Dina Smeltz, a polling expert, has more than 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys. Prior to joining the Council to lead its annual survey of American attitudes on US foreign policy, she served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the US State Department's Office of Research from 1992 to 2008.
John Lapinski
Robert A. Fox Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
John Lapinski is the Robert A. Fox Professor of Political Science, faculty director of the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, and director of the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Construction Alert
Please note that the Randolph Street lobby of the Prudential building, where guests enter for Council events, will be under construction from April through December.