Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy

Shaping debates and informing decisions on important US foreign policy issues.

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Public Opinion

Chicago Council Survey data tracks trends in American public opinion on US foreign policy since 1975.

Survey Reports

Research

Analysis and policy recommendations on US foreign policy and national security.

All Research

Events

Policymakers and influencers share their experience and insight to keep the public informed.

Events

50 Years of Polling America

The Chicago Council Survey has provided a comprehensive view of American public opinion on important US foreign policy issues since 1974. Now in its 50th year, it remains a valuable resource for shaping debates and informing key decisions.

Explore the data.

From the Lester Crown Center

RESEARCH Public Opinion Survey

Dramatic Rise in Republican Support for Ukraine

President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands

In a 21-point shift, 51 percent of Republicans now favor providing US military aid to Kyiv.

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How Immigrants View America's Global Role

Blog Running Numbers by Lama El Baz

President Donald Trump poses during a group photo of NATO heads of state and government at the NATO summit in The Hague

A Crisis in Confidence: European Public Opinion in the Trump Era

Blog Running Numbers by Tim O'Brien

A collage of covers of the annual Chicago Council Survey.

Why Public Opinion Surveys Matter

Center at a Glance

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Public Opinion Surveys on US Foreign Policy

First conducted in 1974, the now annual Chicago Council Survey highlights critical trends and shifts in American views on US foreign policy over time.

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Running Numbers Blog

A public opinion, probabilities, and everything data-related blog featuring commentary and analysis from polling and foreign policy experts.

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In the News

Commentary and analysis from Lester Crown Center experts featured in digital, print, and TV news.

Meet the Experts

All Lester Crown Center experts

Dina Smeltz

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.

More about Dina

Karl Friedhoff

Marshall M. Bouton Fellow for Asia Studies

Karl Friedhoff was a Korea Foundation-Mansfield Foundation US-Korea Nexus Scholar and a member of the Mansfield Foundation’s Trilateral Working Group prior to joining the Council. Previously, he was a program officer in the Public Opinion Studies Program at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies based in Seoul, South Korea.

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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.

More about Craig

All Lester Crown Center experts

Crown Center Events

People walk past a Chinese flag in a Beijing commercial area on February 3, 2025.

China and the World: How Citizens View Their Country's Global Future

Hybrid EVENT

Join us as we discuss the results of the first-ever survey of Chinese public opinion on foreign policy and what these findings mean for US-China relations and China's role in the world.

Two people sit in a white couch while talking on stage

Democracy in the Age of Quantum + AI

PAST EVENT VIDEO Global Quantum Forum

Dina Smeltz, Kate Weber, and Ethan Bueno de Mesquita discuss how Americans view quantum and AI, and what it means for democracy.

Jake Sullivan on How Foreign Policy Should Resonate at Home

PAST EVENT VIDEO Lester Crown Lecture

Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan delivers the Lester Crown Distinguished Lecture on US Foreign Policy.

During the week of the DNC in Chicago experts have a discussion of how factors like race and age play into Americans’ views on foreign policy.

A Diversity of Opinion: Race, Age, and US Foreign Policy

PAST EVENT VIDEO

A conversation with polling experts during the week of the DNC in Chicago explores how factors like race and age play into Americans’ views on foreign policy.