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Poll Finds “Declining Public Support for Global Engagement”

Sep 29th, 2008 • Posted in: Research Report

As tough times overtake U.S. economy, public appears to be turning inward to domestic concerns

From the Pew Research Center:

“The public is feeling much better about how the war in Iraq is going these days, but at the same time has a sharply diminished appetite for U.S. efforts to deal with an array of global problems. Fewer people than at any point in this decade assign high priority to such foreign policy goals as preventing genocide, strengthening the United Nations, promoting and defending human rights, and reducing the global spread of AIDS and other infectious diseases.

“There also is decreased support for an assertive national security policy. Fully 45% say that reducing U.S. overseas military commitments should be a top policy priority, up 10 points since 2004. Notably, even the goal of halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction — a widely shared objective for nearly two decades — is now viewed as less important.

“A new nationwide survey on foreign policy attitudes by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations, finds a striking rise in public optimism about the situation in Iraq. Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58%) say the U.S. military effort there is going well, the highest percentage in more than four years. Yet improving perceptions about the situation in Iraq have done little to increase support for maintaining U.S. troops there.

“Half of the public views the war as the wrong decision, while the same percentage favors withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as possible…. By contrast, there is strong public support for maintaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan — a notable exception to the broader trend against global engagement.

“The public’s top long-term foreign policy goals are decidedly America-centric. Defending the country against terrorism, protecting U.S. jobs, and weaning the country from imported energy all draw extensive bipartisan support….

“The survey … finds that 76% rate reducing U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources as a top foreign policy priority, up 13 points from July 2004. The public’s willingness to consider policies to achieve that objective appears to be practically open-ended….

“More Americans say that Iran represents the greatest danger to the United States than mention any other country. About one-in-five (21%) volunteers Iran as the greatest danger, in an open-ended format; 16% mention China, while 14% cite Russia. The proportion naming Russia has jumped substantially since February 2007 (from 2% to 14%)….”