At the Water's Edge: Foreign Policy, Polarization, and the American Public

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Craig Kafura, Sarah Maxey, and Gerard Baker discuss findings from the 2025 Chicago Council Survey, highlighting where Americans are divided—and where consensus still exists—on the US role in the world.

Gerard Baker, Sarah Maxey, and Craig Kafura on the Council stage

Ana Miyares Photography

Speakers

Craig Kafura
Sarah Maxey
Gerard Baker

Event Date

January 28, 2026

About This Event

The Chicago Council has been polling Americans on attitudes on US foreign policy for five decades, and the latest results show that the US public is more divided than ever on the country's role in the world. What's driving these splits, and where do we still find common ground? The Chicago Council on Global Affairs' 2025 survey reveals how partisan polarization is reshaping public opinion on everything from tariffs, to support for Israel and Ukraine, how to deal with China, and immigration. Which foreign policy issues unite us across party lines, and where are the sharpest disagreements? Join us as we unpack the data and explore what these divisions mean for the future of US global leadership.

About the Speakers

Craig Kafura

Director, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy

Craig Kafura is the director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, and a Pacific Forum Young Leader. At the Council, he coordinates work on public opinion and foreign policy and is a regular contributor to the public opinion and foreign policy blog Running Numbers.

Sarah Maxey

Associate Professor, Loyola University Chicago Department of Political Science

Sarah Maxey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Her research and teaching focus on foreign policy, public opinion, and the domestic politics of international security.

Gerard Baker

Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal

Gerard Baker is Editor at Large of The Wall Street Journal. He writes a weekly column for the editorial page of The Journal each Tuesday on politics, economics, and culture, and appears frequently as a commentator on TV and other news platforms. Baker was previously Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal.

the 2025 Chicago Council Survey Annual Report on a beige background

The Growing Partisan Divide on US Foreign Policy Results and analysis of the Council's 2025 annual survey of American views on foreign policy.

Read the report

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America at 250: The Arc of Global Influence

This content is part of the Council’s America at 250 initiative, a series of high-level dialogues, expert perspectives, public and private programs, and a signature conference focused on the critical questions that will define America’s future.

Learn more