This was originally published on ActiVote.

In October 2025, AllSides and ActiVote collaborated on a survey on tariffs with 9 questions, each with 5 possible answers. The poll was processed using ActiVote’s standard polling methodology (details in appendix A). The average sample size was 609 per question (ranging from a minimum of 486 to a maximum of 703) leading to an expected polling error of about 4.0%. We invite you to participate in this survey if you have not already.

For each of the questions we have looked at the overall opinion of all survey takers as well as the split based on political leanings, distinguishing between the left, moderate left, center, moderate right and the right, each representing 20% of the overall population.

A few clear trends are visible from the survey:

• The left is much less enamored with tariffs than the right.
• A majority believes that tariffs should be a tool in the economic toolbox.
• A majority believes that we should balance keeping prices low with projecting jobs.
• A large majority believes lobbying and corruption as a (very) serious problem related to tariffs.
• A majority believes the U.S. should stand up to China, though opinions differ on how.
• A majority believes we should reduce tariffs in the coming period.

In line with the overall less appetite for tariffs on the left than on the right:

• The left is more concerned about retaliation when the U.S. imposes tariffs than the right.
• The right is more willing to use tariffs for national security purposes.
• The right is more willing to use tariffs for political leverage.
• The right would like to increase tariff revenue, while the left prefers reducing it.

In summary, while the country as a whole would like to reduce the use of tariffs compared to current Trump administration policy, there is significant support among Trump’s base (the right and moderate right) for his tariff policies: to use it for political leverage, to first and foremost protect jobs, to stand up to China, to generate more revenue, and for national security purposes, even if they believe that lobbying and corruption are serious problems.

In the next 9 sections we present the summary results per individual question.

Tariffs

The survey (answered by 492 people) asked: “Which of these statements best reflects your opinion on the use of tariffs?” and provided 5 answers:

• Tariffs should never be used.
• Tariffs should only be used in response to dumping of large amounts of discounted products.
• Tariffs should be used whenever a specific domestic industry is struggling.
• Tariffs should be used as economic policy to stimulate and protect selected domestic industries.
• Tariffs should be used on all foreign imports.

A majority of 52% favor using tariffs to stimulate and protect domestic industries, while another 14% would like to use it on all imports, which means about ⅔ view tariffs as an effective economic tool, while only ⅓ believe they should be used sparingly (either never, in a specific response to dumping or to protect a specific domestic industry).

The left is much more reluctant to use tariffs: 64% believe it should be used sparingly (never, against dumping or in protection of specific industries). The right is almost unanimous (88%) in their support of using tariffs as an economic tool.

Tariffs: Consumers vs. Jobs Tradeoff

The survey (answered by 703 people) asked: “Which of these statements best reflects your opinion on the consumers vs. jobs tradeoff?” and provided 5 answers:

• Protecting American jobs should be the top priority.
• Protecting jobs is more important than keeping prices low.
• Protecting jobs is as important as keeping prices low.
• Keeping prices low is more important than protecting jobs.
• Keeping prices low should be the top priority.

A clear majority (68%) believes that we should balance keeping prices low and protecting jobs. Those who believe low prices should be prioritized (13%) are approximately in balance with those who believe that protecting jobs is more important (18%).

All groups in majority believe that keeping prices low and protecting jobs is equally important. Protecting jobs over lower prices is a more prevalent opinion on the (moderate) right.

Trade with China

The survey (answered by 486 people) asked: “Which of these statements best reflects your views on trade with China?” and provided 5 answers:

• We should continue to trade with China in a free market system.
• We should continue trading with China, however, we should challenge bad practices (like IP infringement and human rights violations) to ensure that over time they will improve in those areas.
• We should strongly challenge any wrong-doing including sanctioning individual Chinese companies, as well as the Chinese government.
• We should start a trade war using tariffs to get China to change its ways.
• We should, as much as possible, reduce trade with China to a fraction of what it is today.

Virtually no one believes the U.S. should start a trade war or pursue a completely free-market trade system with China. The three main opinions are: to significantly reduce trade with China (36%), to challenge bad practices (33%) and to sanction bad actors within China (25%).

The left is more focused on challenging bad practices, while the right is more focused on significantly reducing trade.

Tariffs and National Security

The survey (answered by 667 people) asked: “Which of the following statements best reflects your opinion on tariffs and national security?” and provided 5 possible answers:

• The U.S. should almost always use tariffs to protect national security industries.
• The U.S. should frequently use tariffs for national security.
• The U.S. should sometimes use tariffs for national security.
• The U.S. should exceptionally use tariffs for national security.
• The U.S. should never use tariffs for national security.

The country was split on this topic, with each of the answers receiving between 9% and 31% of the vote. Slightly more people (40%) believe that tariffs should rarely or never be used for National Security, compared to those (33%) who believe that tariffs should frequently or always be used for National Security reasons.

The right believes is more in favor of using tariffs for National Security than the left.

Tariffs as Political Leverage

The survey (answered by 657 people) asked: “Which of the following statements best reflects your opinion on using tariffs for political leverage?” and provided 5 possible answers:

• The U.S. can at any time use tariffs as a foreign policy tool.
• The U.S. should frequently use tariffs as a foreign policy tool.
• The U.S. should sometimes use tariffs for foreign policy.
• The U.S. should rarely use tariffs for foreign policy.
• The U.S. should never use tariffs for foreign policy purposes.

Almost half (47%) believe that we should rarely or never use tariffs for political leverage, while 26% believe we should do so frequently. The final 27% believes we should do so sometimes.

Of those on the left, 80% believe that tariffs should rarely or never be used for political leverage, while almost half (49%) of those on the right are happy to use it frequently or always.

Tariffs and Retaliation

The survey (answered by 645 people) asked: “Which of the following statements best reflects your opinion on tariffs and retaliation?” and provided 5 possible answers:

• The U.S. should ignore retaliation in its tariff decisions.
• The U.S. should give little weight to retaliation in its tariff decisions.
• The U.S. should consider retaliation in its tariff decisions.
• The U.S. should strongly consider retaliation in its tariff decisions.
• The U.S. should avoid tariffs because of the possibility of retaliation.

Almost half (47%) believe that retaliation should be considered strongly or tariffs should be avoided completely because of the risk of retaliation. Only 23% believe that the possibility of retaliation should be given little or no weight.

The left is more sensitive to retaliation, with 64% wishing to consider it strongly or avoiding tariffs at all. On the right only 33% have the same opinion.

Tariffs as Government Revenue

The survey (answered by 616 people) asked: “Which of these statements best reflects your opinion on using tariffs as a source of government revenue?” and provided five possible answers:

• Tariffs should replace all other sources of government revenue.
• Tariffs should provide significantly more revenue than in recent decades.
• Tariffs should provide about the same share of revenue as they do now.
• Tariffs should provide less revenue than in recent decades.
• Tariffs should be almost entirely eliminated.

Almost the same number of people believe that we should reduce government revenue through tariffs (36%) as those who believe we should increase government revenue through tariffs (38%). The remaining 25% believe it should stay the same as it is today.

A majority of the left (64%) wishes to reduce tariff revenue, while a majority of the right (72%) wishes to increase tariff revenue.

Tariffs: Future Direction

The survey (answered by 612 people) asked: “Which of the following statements best reflects your opinion on the overall direction the U.S. should take with tariffs?” and provided 5 answers:

• The U.S. should expand tariffs significantly beyond current levels.
• The U.S. should expand tariffs somewhat in selected industries.
• The U.S. should maintain tariffs at about current levels (as set by Trump in 2025).
• The U.S. should reduce tariffs in many industries from current levels.
• The U.S. should remove most if not all tariffs.

A majority (57%) believes we should reduce or remove tariffs, while about ¼ thinks that we should expand tariffs. The remaining 18% believes that the current level of tariffs are about right.

The left is virtually unanimous (93%) that we should reduce or remove tariffs, while on the right only a minority of 23% has the same opinion. On the right almost half (47%) believe we should further expand tariffs.

Tariffs: Corruption and Lobbying

The survey (answered by 601 people) asked: “Which of the following statements best reflects your opinion on corruption and lobbying?” and provided 5 answers:

• Lobbying and corruption are a very serious problem with tariffs.
• Lobbying and corruption are a serious problem with tariffs.
• Lobbying and corruption are somewhat of a problem with tariffs.
• Lobbying and corruption are not much of a problem with tariffs.
• Lobbying and corruption are not a problem at all with tariffs.

A majority (81%) believes that corruption and lobbying are a (very) serious problem, with 68% seeing it as a very serious problem.

Both the left (94%) and the right (66%) in majority believe that corruption and lobbying is a serious or very serious problem regarding tariffs.

Appendix A – Tariffs Survey Content

Each of the participants was provided with optional background information on each of these policy topics before responding. We encourage you to review the survey in detail if you have questions on what each participant read.

Appendix B – ActiVote Polling Methodology

ActiVote collects survey responses from survey takers through the ActiVote app, both available on web and smartphone (the vast majority of participants in this survey used the web version).The survey responses are weighted based on various characteristics to ensure the sample reflects the opinion of the American public at large. Feel free to review ActiVote’s polling methodology. More information about ActiVote’s polls can be found at ActiVote’s polling page.