Nearly half of Americans follow foreign affairs closely
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. In a typical week, 45.6% of Americans pay quite a bit or a great deal of attention to international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. 21.4% pay very little or none.
Another 32.9% pay some attention. A great deal of attention accounts for 18.2%, and none at all for 6.9%.
Topline distribution
Nearly half of Americans follow foreign affairs closely.
Thinking about a typical week, how much attention, if any, do you personally pay to news and developments about international affairs and U.S. foreign policy?
n = 1,000 · Sep 25–30, 2026 · MoE ±3.4%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 25–30, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.4% |
| Module | Technology, Security, and Global Affairs |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report
Thinking about a typical week, how much attention, if any, do you personally pay to news and developments about international affairs and U.S. foreign policy?
Cite this question
APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.