Our expert research provides trusted, balanced insight and analysis on US foreign policy and America’s global engagement and advances policy solutions on critical global issues.
The Middle East remains the focus of what Americans perceive as the leading threats to US security, including international terrorism, the rise of violent Islamic extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, and the possibility of a major terrorist attack in the US.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has promoted despondency and hopelessness to the extent that citizens become paralyzed and incapable of challenging the political status quo.
Coinciding with the rise of the Islamic State, public concern about Islamic fundamentalism as a critical threat is rated at 55 percent, the highest level since 2002 survey results.
According to the 2015 Chicago Council Survey, most Americans support the general idea of an agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear program to civilian uses.
Captive Society surveys the Basij's history, structure, and sociology, as well as its influence on Iranian society, its economy, and its educational system.
Nearly seven in 10 Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth the cost, and half of Americans believe military action hasn’t made the US safer from the threat of terrorism.