With the United States now launching airstrikes in Syria -- the seventh country bombed under the Obama administration—debate over foreign policy has once again ballooned , pitting the interventionist hawks against non-interventionist doves . A new CNN/ORC International survey indicates that half of Americans consider themselves doves on foreign policy , while slightly less describe themselves as hawks . The poll also shows that two-thirds of Americans describe President Obama , a Nobel Peace Prize winner , as a dove , while 29 % consider him a hawk . Hawks vs. Doves . The President 's plan to `` degrade and ultimately destroy '' ISIS includes a coalition airstrike campaign and the arming and training of Syrian rebel forces that are also fighting the extremist group . Altogether , the plan marks yet another U.S. involvement overseas . According to the survey , 50 % of Americans view themselves as doves , defined in the poll as `` someone who believes the U.S. should rarely or never use military force , '' compared to 45 % who self-identify as hawks , `` someone who believes that military force should be used frequently to promote U.S . policy . '' CNN exclusive : ISIS fighter says U.S. airstrikes are n't effective . That trend between hawks and doves has `` remained remarkably consistent over the years , '' said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland . The number of self-described hawks typically ranges between 44 % and 45 % , with the number of hawks slightly higher , and in recent years , hovering around the 50 % mark . Hawks are more likely to be men , live in the South and Midwest , come from rural areas , and have no college education , Holland said . `` Self-described doves are more likely to be women , live in the Northeast and the West , come from urban areas and have at least some college education , '' he added . Next step : Keeping anti-ISIS coalition together . There 's a significant age gap , as well . Sixty-six percent of those under the age of 35 prefer a dovish foreign policy , while a majority of those older than 35 say they are hawks . Breaking the numbers down by political affiliation , nearly seven in 10 Republicans call themselves hawks , compared to nearly six in 10 Democrats and independents who say they are doves . Opinions of Obama . Obama came into office pledging to end U.S.-led wars but now finds himself as a commander in chief who has ordered airstrikes in a host of countries in the Middle East and in Africa . The President has always recognized there are times when military force is necessary . Even when he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 , he said there could be instances when war is `` morally justified . '' Analysis : America 's wartime president . It appears that most Americans still consider him a dovish president . Sixty-five percent view him as a dove , while about three in 10 Americans consider him a hawk , according to the survey . On the question of whether the U.S. should take the lead in solving all the world 's problems , 58 % say `` no . '' That represents a similar viewpoint that Obama has advocated in the past . The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International by telephone with 1,010 adult Americans on September 22-25 . The overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points .
A new CNN poll indicates half of Americans self-identify as foreign policy doves . Slightly less , 45 % , describe themselves as hawks . Comment: Obama has ordered airstrikes in seven countries .