Vox Populi Issue 18

ISSUE #18

VOX POPULI NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2023


Majorities of Republicans and Democrats Back U.S. Military Aid to Ukraine

A new public consultation survey about U.S. support for Ukraine was featured in Newsweek and Scripps News Tonight. According to the study conducted by University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation, a bipartisan majority of 69% of voters support the U.S. providing significant military aid to Ukraine in their ongoing war with Russia. The aid includes military equipment, ammunition, training, and intelligence. The support for continuing military aid to Ukraine is backed by 55% of Republicans, 87% of Democrats, and 58% of independents.

The sample size of the study was large enough to examine the attitudes of both very Republican and very Democratic districts, based on Cook PVI ratings. The results revealed that in both red and blue congressional districts, an equal majority of 71% were in favor of continuing military aid to Ukraine.

In the Scripps News Tonight segment, Voice of the People President and Program for Public Consultation Director Steven Kull stated, “There is no general push for actually reducing the amount of spending on international issues, whether it’s foreign aid or military aid to Ukraine.”

Public Consultation Around the World: Civic Innovation Is Flourishing In Global Cities

A recent article by Hollie Russon Gilman, senior fellow at New America’s Political Reform Program, and Grace Levin, a Master in Urban Planning Student at Harvard, discusses various cities across the world that are experimenting with new ways to increase trust and equity in civic processes. From online portals to citizen assemblies, local governments across the globe are working to address distrust and disengagement in government. Through these methods, governments are seeing that local public participation in decision-making fundamentally shifts how we govern.

In Brazil, the country recently launched a digital platform called “Brasil Participativo,” to host their national participatory budgeting process where residents will be able to log on and add their voice to the country’s four-year budgeting plan and submit proposals. Citizen assemblies are also on the rise, with the city of Lisbon in Portugal being the latest to create a permanent assembly for their governing process. These innovative processes present an opportunity for leaders to learn from cities around the world and apply co-governance tools locally in the United States.

 CMF Democracy Award Winners Announced

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) announced the winners of its sixth annual Democracy Awards, which recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by Members of Congress. The winners were selected by a Selection Committee comprised of former congressional staffers.

The winners in four categories are:

Try a Policymaking Simulation: US Military Aid to Ukraine

Put yourself in the shoes of policymakers by trying our policymaking simulation on whether the U.S. should provide support for Ukraine during the war. In this simulation, you’ll get a briefing about the issue, learn the arguments for and against military aid, and determine your recommendation. Once you finish the simulation, you’ll have a chance to send your recommendation to your Congresspeople.

Data Analysis Deep Dive: Republicans’ Opinion of Ukraine Aid

News outlets have been reporting that US support for aiding Ukraine has softened significantly and become more partisan over the last year, with Republicans now turning against aid to Ukraine. However, analysis of public opinion data as a whole since the start of the war finds that Republican support for providing military equipment and other types of military aid has remained at a steady majority. Only when it comes to the amount of aid do partisan differences arise, with a growing percent of Republicans saying the US is giving too much.

Questions that ask whether the US should provide Ukraine with military equipment (as well as ammunition, training and intelligence) have found large and steady majority support of around 60-70% since the start of the war, including majorities of Republicans (52-55%). (Reuters, June ‘23, Feb ’23, Oct ‘22; Program for Public Consultation, June 2023)

When asked about the amount of aid given to Ukraine, polls show a growing percentage who feel that the US is sending too much aid, driven almost entirely by Republicans. The percent of Republicans who said the US is providing too much aid, rather than too little or about the right amount, increased from 9% in March 2022 to a plurality of 44% in June 2023. In comparison, among Democrats, the percent saying too much only increased from 5% to 14%. (Pew Research Center) The most recent polling, from August 2023, found a majority of Republicans (56%) feel the US should be doing less to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. (Fox News)

Furthermore, questions about providing Ukraine with financial aid to help defend themselves against Russia have found substantially less support than those about providing military equipment, particularly among Republicans. Overall, a plurality (48%) or small majority (54%) of Americans have supported the US giving Ukraine financial support for defense purposes; but among Republicans, majorities of six-in-ten have been opposed. (Economist/YouGov, December 2022; Reuters/Ipsos, June 2023). 

For a fuller analysis of public opinion of US policy towards Ukraine, check out our latest Ear to the People report.