The Chicago Council on Global Affairs published the results of two annual national surveys of public attitudes sponsored by UT-Austin’s Strauss-Clements Intelligence Studies Project (ISP). The surveys conducted in 2023 and 2024 confirm that most Americans believe the US intelligence agencies are vital to protecting the nation and effective in carrying out their specialized tasks. These final polls of the Biden presidency also affirm that partisan preference plays a significant role in shaping views on the Intelligence Community’s (IC) performance, respect for civil liberties, and democratic oversight. Over the six-year span of this study, efforts to improve transparency and public understanding of the US IC have not overcome widespread public concern that the country’s security agencies fail to adequately safeguard citizens’ privacy rights and civil liberties. The surveys were designed and analyzed by ISP Director Stephen Slick, ISP’s Program Manager Kim Nguyen, and Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar Joshua Busby. Key takeaways, the conclusion, and two figures depicting views of the IC appear below. The full report with underlying survey data is available HERE.
View the key takeaways and more on ISP’s website.
In partnership with UT Austin’s Asia Policy Program (APP), the Intelligence Studies Project’s (ISP) Tearline team published a report on Chinese construction of police training infrastructure in at least four countries — Nepal, Costa Rica, Samoa, and Uzbekistan — over the past 12 years. Construction of a police training facility is usually part of a wider, latticed outreach effort by...
The Strauss-Clements Intelligence Studies Project (ISP) at The University of Texas at Austin announces the 12th annual competition recognizing outstanding student research and writing on topics related to intelligence and national security. The winner of the Inman Award will receive a cash prize of $5,000, with two semifinalists each receiving a cash prize of $2,500. This competition is open to unpublished work by undergraduate...
Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar Joshua Busby, Intelligence Studies Project Senior Fellow Stephen Slick, and Intelligence Studies Project Program Manager Kim Nyugen recently published their poll findings in Lawfare on public attitudes towards the U.S. Intelligence Community. Polling was sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin and was conducted between 2023 and 2024. Key takeaways from the polling illustrate that a...