Research Project Championing Freedom: Increasing Popular Support for Pro-Democracy Causes

 

 

Razom’s Advocacy program is working to enhance engagement with American audiences in order to establish popular, long-term support for Ukraine in the United States. 

 

 

As part of its advocacy work, Razom received a grant supporting  a project titled Championing Freedom. Its purpose was to understand what motivates  Americans to support pro-democracy causes and  be in favor of government support for a fight for freedom outside the U.S., as in the example of Ukraine. 

 

The Championing Freedom project lasted six-months and examined how Americans, as well as pro-democracy activists around the world, identify with democratic causes. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the case study used to better understand just how Americans think about supporting and defending democracy. The project was conducted in cooperation with Ukrainian civil society groups, global pro-democracy campaigners, friends of Ukraine, and other communicators already working in this space.

 

The results of the research can be applied by pro-democracy movements to activate popular support for foreign nations under invasion that is committed to preserving their democracy.

 

Key findings

 

 

The key question this research sought to answer is how Americans feel, perceive, and understand Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

  • Poll results consistently indicated that the majority of Americans, despite multiple media manipulations, want to continue to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion. 
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The poll conducted in August, 2023 showed that 63% of Americans support continuing military support for Ukraine in next year’s federal budget. The poll, conducted in October, confirmed that 60% of U.S. voters believe that America’s allies and enemies would view a U.S. withdrawal of military support for Ukraine as a sign of weakness. 

 

 

However, the resumption of the Israel-Palestine conflict introduced a split among the respondents, with some demonstrating less support for military aid to Ukraine if aid  is linked to Israel, while others indicated more support. 

 

  • Americans strongly believe that Putin is a major threat to the US. Putin received the lowest approval rating among all the world political leaders across all the audiences – 85% total unfavorable; 74% very unfavorable. Americans do not like bullies and see Putin as a bully. 

Messages that place Putin as the main villain and mastermind of the war against Ukraine and other conflicts around the world performed best in persuading Americans to support Ukraine. 

 

  • Americans root for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, but they do not see either side winning. 
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70% of Americans believe that Ukraine should win the war imposed by Russia — this number holds throughout time — however, they do not see any side currently winning.

This response is important; winning is crucial for Americans to become invested in any conflict. Currently, Americans do not have a vision of a Ukrainian victory, and shaping that vision would be integral to obtaining popular support in the U.S.  

 

When describing a timeline for the commitment to a struggle, many Americans hear “as long as it takes” as code for “forever”. Proclaiming “victory” as the end goal of aiding Ukraine is crucial to obtaining and sustaining popular support in the U.S. 

 

Survey results indicated that the goal of “defending democracy” lacks broad appeal in the U.S. because different segments of Americans understand the word “democracy” differently. “Defending freedom” unites and motivates Americans more.

 

Comprehensive interviews with members of the general public indicate that Americans feel that their nation is weak and ineffectual, and are cynical about America’s goodness as a nation. Respondents once again want to feel strong, effective and good. They want their country to lead, but also want that the burden of leadership be shared with the allies. Most think that European allies are not doing their fair share in the war, and should be doing more.  Whether it is true or not, this is how Americans perceive their role in the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine.

  • Finer segmentation of polling indicated that an anti-Ukrainian mood prevails in a small segment of the conservative minority. However, that small segment more positively views support for Ukraine after learning that the U.S. spent less than 3% of its defense budget to destroy 50% of Russian armed forces, and that Ukraine has regained over 50% of previously occupied territories. The information that most boosted support was the persecution of Evangelical Christians by Russian occupational forces in Ukraine.

Key arguments

 

From our research, there are key points Americans need to know to sustain popular support for

Ukraine. Americans need to know the main facts about events in Ukraine,and most do not have accurate information, therefore sharing key arguments is crucial. 

 

  • Ukraine is not involved in a regional “squabble” with Russia. It is fighting for its freedom and for the right to govern itself.

  • Although the situation is complex, given the U.S.’ vast experience and capabilities, America is up for the task, and has a clear path to victory.

  • Getting involved is critical both for U.S. national security and because morally, when innocent lives are at stake, supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do.
  • Ukraine is not in a “forever war” and the U.S. is not going in blind. America has the resources for assisting Ukraine and will do everything possible to preserve the lives of not only Americans but of those who are defenseless and oppressed.

  • The stakes couldn’t be clearer—either we live in a world where bullies roll over defenseless innocents or we stand up for freedom, we stand up for innocent lives, and we work with other nations to win a better future for us all.

  • Ukrainians are making good use of American aid and making progress against Russia. But that doesn’t mean the fight is over. Civilians, churches, and schools are still being targeted and hurt by Russian forces. Americans can’t let that stand.
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Key stories


Beyond polling, another element of this project was a series of deep-dive interviews with a representative group of American voters. When combined with the polling data, a pattern of narratives emerged around how Americans identify with and support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.

 

Heroic Moments from Shared History


For many Americans, helping Ukraine is a chance for the U.S. to be a hero to the world, just as in World War II. The American Revolution of 1776 is sacred to both Americans and Ukrainians.  Describing Ukraine’s fight as a revolt against Russia’s colonial domination—or Ukraine’s own “1776 moment”—  can inspire Americans and make them more closely identify with Ukraine.

 

Respecting Order, Protecting Innocents


Many Americans are deeply offended and moved by Russia’s abuse of innocent lives: the bombing of civilians, abduction of children, rape of women, and other war crimes. They need to hear the stories that bring to life Russia’s rule-breaking, use of torture, and targeting of civilians beyond more abstract claims that Russia is “violating international law.” Narrating the suffering and bravery of Ukrainian civilians living in Russian-occupied areas gives Americans a better understanding of Ukraine’s stake and motivation in this war.

Doing What’s Right *

 

Narratives about America’s fundamental desire to oppose evil and fight for good; America’s role as the world’s most powerful nation should be provided. Stories should narrate fundamental values—the right to safety, security, freedom, and self-determination. When a major power attacks a small nation, most Americans want the U.S. to side with David and beat Goliath.

* America’s stance in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, however, detracted from this argument as many Americans see a double standard in how the U.S. has responded to the protection of innocents in the Middle East conflict and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

 

 

Winning a Safe, Freer Future

 

The fundamental purpose of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is for Russia to define the future of humanity: oppression vs. freedom; liberty vs. censorship; impunity vs. the rule of law. Offering a vision of a future where Ukraine’s victory makes the world safer and deters future authoritarian aggression motivates Americans to be more invested in Ukraine’s cause.

Summary

 

The research demonstrated that content featuring Putin as an enemy of the free world and the U.S. as a force for good, works for different audiences, especially conservative and independent ones, to amplify support for Ukraine. Since Putin enjoys an extremely low approval rating even among anti-Ukrainian audiences in the U.S., the most universally persuasive messages would focus on him personally. 

 

Based on research insights, Razom, in partnership with Spirit of America, produced an ad that features Col. Matt Dimmick, who went to Ukraine and is an avid advocate in the U.S. of  Ukrainian victory.

Overall, Americans’ hearts are in the right place: the majority of people are motivated to support causes to help civilians and vulnerable populations and to safeguard justice and freedom for all. What Americans lack are awareness and reliable facts. Due in part to a competitive information environment, people repeat a set of statements they hear from public figures and in the media (e.g. that the war is a “territorial dispute”,  Ukraine is “too corrupt”, the U.S. has given Ukraine a “blank check”, etc.). These types of statements disperse public attention from Ukraine and refocus it on Americans’ deepest anxieties and concerns. 

 

Educational and informative campaigns aimed at boosting awareness about Ukraine and providing Americans with reliable information from resources they trust, are key to securing popular support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom. 

 

This research was conducted in real time and the results were influenced by a fast-moving news cycle. Future research would be beneficial to ensure these findings stay relevant. 



Project team

Katya Pavlevych, Project Manager, Razom for Ukraine

Gretchen Barton, Team Lead, Worthy Strategy Group

Kirk Cheyfitz and Rose Hackman, Narrative Development & Strategy, Kirk Cheyfitz/ Political Narrative, 

Stephen Clermont, Polling Lead, Change Research

Ellen Kirk, Creative Project Manager

Milan De Vries, Content Testing and Analysis



This research was supported by the Temerty Foundation and Open Society Foundation.