Although Pelosi voted against the Iraq war, anti-war activists in San Francisco protested against her voting to continue funding the war. UC Berkeley political scientist Bruce Cain said that Pelosi had to balance the demands of her anti-war constituency against the moderate views of Democrats in tight races around the country in her role as minority leader. Pelosi has never faced a serious challenger to her left in her district.

In September 2008, Pelosi visited Hiroshima, Japan for a G8 summit meeting of lower house speakers and offered flowers in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park for the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing.

Pelosi voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and earlier attempts at similar bans and voted against the criminalization of certain situations where a minor is transported across state lines for an abortion.

Pelosi stands in favor of increased background checks for potential gun owners, as well as the controversial banning of assault weapons. In February 2013, she called for the "boldest possible move" on gun control, similar to a stance made just weeks earlier by former Representative, mass shooting victim, and fellow gun control advocate Gabrielle Giffords. In 2012, she was given 0% ratings by both the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America for her stances on gun control.

Prior to the U.S. 2006 midterm elections, Pelosi announced a plan for action. If elected, she and the newly empowered Democratic caucus would push through most of its program during the first hundred hours of the 110th Congress' term. The origin for the name "first hundred hours" is a play on words derived from former Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise for quick action on the part of the government to combat the Great Depression during his "first hundred days" in office. Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House in 1995, had a similar 100-day agenda to implement the Contract with America.

In 2006, Nancy was named Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of the year. She has been listed numerous times on Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women. In 2014, Pelosi was ranked 26th.

In 2009, CRP reported Pelosi's average net worth was $58,436,537 having ranked 13th among 25 wealthiest members of Congress. In 2014, CRP reported Pelosi's average net worth in 2014 was $101,273,023 having ranked 8th out of 25 wealthiest members of Congress.