Opinion Today
September 18, 2025
Crime and punishment: How often Americans think would-be criminals are deterred by the fear of being caught and punished Jamie Ballard, YouGov A new YouGov survey asked Americans how often they think would-be criminals — including U.S. presidents — are deterred from committing certain crimes because they are concerned about being caught and punished.
How Americans View AI and Its Impact on People and Society Brian Kennedy, Eileen Yam, Emma Kikuchi, Isabelle Pula and Javier Fuentes, Pew Research Center Artificial intelligence tools are now playing a role in many aspects of life and society, spanning politics, the arts, work and beyond. While Americans express some openness to AI’s potential benefits, they’re concerned about its impact on some human abilities, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Americans tend to view international students positively, though some support limitations William Miner, Sneha Gubbala and Laura Silver, Pew Research Center Most Americans (79%) think it’s good for U.S. colleges and universities to accept international students. That includes majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Sept. 2-8. Still, sizable shares support certain restrictions on foreign students.
Widespread Support for International Cooperation in Landmark 34-Country Survey Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation released findings of a new global poll that shows considerable, but fragile, support for international cooperation. At a moment of massive global disruption, including dramatic cuts to humanitarian and development work—for example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has predicted official development assistance (ODA) to fall by an additional 9%-17% this year — The Rockefeller Foundation’s new survey captures how people view global cooperation and key international institutions.
More People Feel Safe Even as Global Conflicts Rise Julie Ray, Gallup At the very moment the world is seeing more countries in conflict than at any time since World War II, more people than ever say they feel safe where they live. In 2024, Gallup’s global tracking reached a new milestone: 73% of adults worldwide said they feel safe walking alone at night in their city or area.
Republicans on the Hook for Government Shutdown Erica Seifert & Ian Smith, Navigator Research • Shutdown awareness remains low and lags well behind other recent news stories. • Americans are more likely to blame Trump and Republicans in the event of a shutdown. • Independents and Republicans have increased likelihood of blaming both sides.
