Americans See Energy Supply Disruption as Biggest Threat to US Security

The public also remains concerned about the potential for a global economic downtown, Council polling shows.

Key Findings

• A majority of Americans (62%) view a disruption in the energy supply as a critical threat to the United States, more than any other issue asked about on the 2022 Chicago Council Survey.
• More than half are concerned about a global economic downturn, with 55 percent labeling the prospect a critical threat to US interests.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to impact global markets, more Americans identify a potential disruption in the energy supply as a critical threat (62%) than any other issue mentioned in the 2022 Chicago Council Survey, similar to Russia’s territorial ambitions (60%) and slightly above international terrorism (58%).

While the public’s concern is bipartisan, with majorities of Republicans (67%), Democrats (59%), and Independents (62%) viewing energy disruptions as a critical threat, party views have fluctuated over time. Republicans are now less concerned than they were in March 2022 (72%), while Democrats express greater concern today than they did last spring (51%).

More than half of Americans (55%) also view a global economic downturn as a critical threat. While inflation and gas and food prices have risen in the past year, there has not been much of an increase since 2020 when the same proportion expressed concern about the issue (55%) in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.