At the Water's Edge: Foreign Policy, Polarization, and the American Public
Dina Smeltz and Gerard Baker discuss findings from the Chicago Council’s 2025 annual survey, highlighting where Americans are divided—and where consensus still exists—on the US role in the world.
Jan
28
Carolyn Kaster / AP
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
Vice President, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
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.
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.