Public Attitudes and International Law in Nuclear Policy

Public attitudes towards nuclear weapons and related energy technologies play a central role in shaping both national policy and the development of international legal frameworks. Surveys conducted in diverse contexts reveal that citizens balance concerns about national security, moral imperatives and the risk of escalation when expressing support or opposition to nuclear weapons use. In countries under extended deterrence arrangements, such as those protected by a nuclear umbrella, public opinion often reflects a tension between reliance on allied guarantees and a desire for unilateral disarmament. At the same time, emerging normative instruments—most notably the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons—have generated widespread grassroots endorsement, even in states historically dependent on nuclear deterrence. Experimental research demonstrates that messaging about legal prohibitions and potential precedents for use can shift public sentiment, although effects vary in resilience and magnitude. Taken together, these findings underscore the dynamic interplay between domestic opinion, international legal norms and the practical challenges of nuclear governance, with implications for arms control negotiations, alliance management and disarmament advocacy.

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Public Attitudes and International Law in Nuclear Policy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in public attitudes and international law in nuclear policy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Deterrence: A strategic doctrine that seeks to prevent hostile action by the threat of significant retaliation.

Nuclear umbrella: A security guarantee extended by a nuclear-armed power to defend an ally under attack, often with the promise of nuclear response.

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): A multilateral agreement that comprehensively bans the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons.

Normative force: The capacity of legal or moral norms to shape individuals’ beliefs and guide collective behaviour.

References

1. Attitudes toward the Use of Force: Instrumental Imperatives, Moral Principles, and International Law. American Journal of Political Science (2021).
2. Japanese Public Opinion, Political Persuasion, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (2020).
3. Measuring law's normative force. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies (2023).
4. Atomic Arguments and Counter-Arguments: How Exposure to Conflicting Information Influences American Public Support for the Use of Nuclear Weapons. International Studies Quarterly (2024).