Nearly half of Americans believe U.S. troops should have stayed in Afghanistan until all Americans and Afghan allies were evacuated
Washington, DC, August 31, 2021 – According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted August 27-30, 2021, following the terrorist attack outside of Kabul’s airport, just one in ten Americans (10%) say that the war in Afghanistan is the most important problem facing the United States. On the country’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, only 38% approve of how Joe Biden has handled the situation, while 51% disapprove. Biden scores slightly more favorably on the resettlement of at-risk Afghans who aided in the U.S. war effort (45% approve vs. 42% disapprove).
Finally, when presented with four potential paths regarding Afghanistan, 49% of Americans believe that American troops should have stayed in Afghanistan until all American citizens and Afghan allies were evacuated, this includes 54% of Republicans, 47% of Democrats, and 49% of independents. Meanwhile, 25% believe troops should have stayed at least until all American citizens were evacuated, this is supported by 29% of Republicans, 24% of Democrats, and 19% of independents.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between August 27-30, 2021. For this survey, a sample of 1,003 Americans age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii were interviewed online in English. The sample includes 465 Democrats, 354 Republicans, and 107 independents. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Americans been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. The poll also has a credibility interval of ± 5.2 percentage points for Democrats, ± 5.9 percentage points for Republicans, and ± 10.8 percentage points for independents.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Chris Jackson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]
Kate Silverstein
Media Relations, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third-largest Insights and Analytics company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts, and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions, and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers, or employees. We serve more than 5,000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
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