Report · Politics

More Americans oppose expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal than support it

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in March 2026, 39% of Americans opposed expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Including 26% who strongly oppose and 14% who somewhat oppose.

About three-in-ten supported the expansion, including 12% who strongly support and 16% who somewhat support. Another 25% were neutral, with 8% unsure.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

39% of Americans oppose expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Expanding the US nuclear arsenal?

  • Strongly oppose 25.6%
  • Neutral 24.9%
  • Somewhat support 15.5%
  • Somewhat oppose 13.6%
  • Strongly support 12.4%
  • Don't know 8.0%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.5%

Module 3: Elections, Civic Life, & the Environment

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.5%
Module
Module 3: Elections, Civic Life, & the Environment

Source

Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/omnibus-2026-044#q-3-8

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.