New survey will explore how Americans view veterans and their perceived ability to lead and unify.
Exploring Americans' confidence in military veterans
The new survey will explore the extent to which Americans believe veterans embody qualities such as strong leadership, a commitment to democratic values and an ability to work across differences. It will also examine whether military experience is viewed as a meaningful qualification for elected office.
At a time when institutional trust is strained and political divisions run deep, this research seeks to answer the question: Do Americans see veterans as uniquely positioned to help lead and unite the country?
"Public trust in major institutions is near historic lows, but veterans continue to earn consistently high confidence from the American public," said Rye Barcott, Founder and President of With Honor Institute. "Our collaboration with Gallup allows us to track that trust over time and across sectors — from government to business to global leadership. By integrating veterans into Gallup's foundational surveys, we're not just gathering data — we're shaping a national conversation about principled veteran leadership rooted in service, integrity, and results."
Public perspectives on veterans’ role in American life
This survey is the first in a planned series of studies examining how Americans view veterans across a range of measures, including trust, confidence and ethics. As part of this ongoing collaboration, Gallup will add items about military veterans to its annual Honesty and Ethics of Professions and Confidence in Institutions surveys beginning this year. Gallup and With Honor aim to provide nonpartisan, evidence-based data to inform leadership development, policymaking and national conversations about the influence of military experience in American life.
“This research gives us the opportunity to better understand how Americans view veterans as leaders across civic and community life,” said Colonel Michael Tilton, U.S. Army (Ret.), project director at Gallup. “By partnering with the With Honor Institute, we hope to provide objective data that can support meaningful dialogue about veterans’ leadership in a number of areas, including as those elected to public office.”
Initial results will be released in fall 2025.
About With Honor Institute
With Honor Institute (WHI) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to fight polarization and strengthen the foundation of our democracy. WHI works to educate, inform, and support principled veterans and servant leaders who value integrity, civility, and courage—the Institute endeavors to bridge divides and foster collaboration to create a more effective and less polarized Congress.
About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.
