For as long as any of us can remember, the debate surrounding strategic nuclear deterrence has been incredibly predictable. The arms control community, on the one hand, and advocates for the nuclear triad, on the other, continue to wield their tried-and-true talking points. You could read a newspaper article from the early 1980s and see many of today’s most popular arguments in play almost word-for-word. However, the security environment, public priorities, and technology have evolved markedly.

Mitchell Institute launched this research effort in partnership with Seven Letter Insight to understand where public perceptions really stand regarding strategic nuclear deterrence far past what the headlines, op-eds, and political comments convey. Understanding public opinion is exceedingly important given the scale and scope of the triad modernization. As a democracy, America’s national security investment will fundamentally reflect what the public desires. The results we discovered were quite surprising. Please join as we share this new data, explain how the research was conducted, and discuss broader implications.

https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/aerospace-nation-understanding-american-voters-perceptions-regarding-strategic-nuclear-deterrence/