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

From the Lester Crown Center

Children playing with flags in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
Children playing with flags in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
Public Opinion
Craig Kafura
Generational Differences on US-China Relations
Blog Running Numbers by Craig Kafura
Younger Americans are more confident in US power vis-a-vis China and are more likely to oppose restrictions on scientific and educational exchanges between the two.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine ahead of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine ahead of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine ahead of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine ahead of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
Public Opinion
NATO
US Public Support for Defending Ukraine May Not Be Solid
Blog Running Numbers by Dina Smeltz
vigil for democracy at the University of Hong Kong
vigil for democracy at the University of Hong Kong vigil for democracy at the University of Hong Kong
vigil for democracy at the University of Hong Kong
Global Politics
REUTERS
Democracy Around the World Had a Rough Year. But Don't Give Up.
In the News Chicago Tribune Elizabeth Shackelford
Middle Class Homes
iStock
Public Opinion

2021 Chicago Council Survey

RESEARCH Public Opinion Survey
While the Biden administration seems to understand where Americans stand on China and domestic renewal to support global competitiveness, the data disproves their assumptions that Americans are skeptical about trade and weary of US global engagement and leadership.

Center at a Glance

Shadows of people standing in front of an American flag
Reuters
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.

Four US soldiers stand in front of a setting sun
Reuters
Task Forces on National Security

Thought leaders convened for task forces analyze and make recommendations on a range of timely national security and foreign policy issues.

General Jim Mattis speaking at the Council
Lester Crown Lecture on US Foreign Policy

Each year, audiences hear from and question a national security leader, fostering dialogue and building deeper understanding of critical issues.

VP of Studies Brian Hanson recording our podcast, Deep Dish
Commentary and Analysis

Fellows and other experts offer the context needed to understand current national security or foreign policy events and trends through op-eds, blogs, podcasts, and videos.

Meet the Experts
All Lester Crown Center experts
Headshot for Dina Smeltz

Dina Smeltz

Senior Fellow, 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
Council staff Elizabeth Shackelford

Elizabeth Shackelford

Senior Fellow, US Foreign Policy
Elizabeth Shackelford, a former career US diplomat who served at the US Mission to Somalia and the US Embassy in South Sudan, joined the Council in 2021. Her work focuses on building awareness and understanding of a "restraint" approach to foreign policy, which seeks to limit the use of military force to the defense of core US national security interests and favors robust diplomatic engagement.
More about Elizabeth
Council expert Karl Friedhoff

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.
More about Karl
All Lester Crown Center experts

Commentary and Analysis

VP of Studies Brian Hanson recording an episode of Deep Dish
Deep Dish Podcast

Council Vice President of Studies Brian T. Hanson sits down with guests to go beyond the headlines on critical global issues in this weekly podcast series.

A screenshot of a recording of World Review on May 22, 2020.
World Review

Former NATO Ambassador and Council President Ivo Daalder talks with leading media commentators about emerging global news during this live streaming show every Friday at 10 a.m. CT.

A list of numbers in a collection of data on a computer screen
Running Numbers Blog

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

Donald Trump answering questions at a press briefing at the White House
Reuters
In the News

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

Newsletter sign-up

Sign up to receive a monthly email with all the latest survey findings, research, analysis, and commentary from Crown Center experts and featured speakers.
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Crown Center Events

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Jan
28
MD Mahdi
World Review with Ghosh, Robbins, and Stephens
Virtual World Review

Every Friday, Ivo Daalder talks with reporters from some of the world’s leading media outlets to get their perspectives on emerging global stories and how they might unfold.

Register
Biden gives speech
REUTERS
World Review: Biden’s First Year, European Instability, and Ukraine
PAST EVENT VIDEO

Every Friday, Ivo Daalder talks with reporters from some of the world’s leading media outlets to get their perspectives on emerging global stories and how they might unfold.

President Biden holds virtual talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and other officials during a secure video call from the Situation Room at the White House
Reuters
Russia and Ukraine - What's Next?
PAST EVENT

As tensions continue to grow over Russia's military build-up close to its border with Ukraine, what might be President Putin’s next move—and is there still hope for de-escalation?

NATO diplomacy on Russia
REUTERS
World Review: Russia-NATO Talks, Kazakhstan, and Xi in 2022
PAST EVENT VIDEO World Review

Ivo Daalder talks with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Peter Spiegel, and Giles Whittell to get their perspectives on the news of the week and what to keep an eye on in the days ahead.