Although a growing number of Americans believe the United States should be more involved and take a leading role in international affairs, a majority of Americans believe the United States should focus more on domestic issues and step back from diplomacy.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 62 percent, believe the United States should withdraw from international affairs and focus more on domestic issues, according to a survey conducted by the Ronald Reagan Institute in the summer of 2024. The survey results were shared exclusively with Fox News Sunday.
Despite this finding, the percentage of Americans who think it is important for the United States to be more involved and take a leading role in international affairs is on the rise, up 12 points over the past six months.
A majority, 54%, say they support greater U.S. involvement in foreign policy, up from 42% in November. The latest figures include 66% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans.
President Zelensky appeals for aid and investment in energy sector at Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Berlin
Ukrainian soldiers use a U.S. Stinger air defense missile launcher to search for a target on the front line in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)
“The Reagan Institute’s poll this summer found that with regards to the turmoil and conflict going on around the world, there’s an increasing number of Americans who really want and want policies that reflect American leadership in the world, President Reagan’s leadership principles, and strength on the international stage,” Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Ronald Reagan Institute, told Fox News Digital.
“The number of Americans looking for U.S. leadership and engagement is at a five-year high,” she added.
Additionally, a majority of Americans say they believe U.S. involvement in international affairs is beneficial for both the United States (57%) and the world (61%).
More than three-quarters of respondents, 78 percent, agreed that U.S. leadership and engagement in global affairs is “essential” to jumpstart the economy and secure favorable trade deals.
Seventy-seven percent of Americans say they think it is important for the United States to defend human rights and democracy around the world, and 86% say it is important for the United States to maintain a strong military that can maintain peace and prosperity at home and around the world.
The poll comes amid an ongoing debate over how involved the United States should be in defending Ukraine amid a war with Russia, with some arguing that the billions of dollars spent on equipping the Ukrainian military would be better spent on domestic issues.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they support military aid to Ukraine, down 2 percentage points from the same Reagan Institute poll last summer, while 32% oppose it. Another 11% said they didn’t know.
Americans also believe it is in America’s best interest for Ukraine to win the conflict with Russia, with 75% saying it is important for Ukraine to win, compared to 17% who say it is not important. These percentages were unchanged from last year’s survey.
Hoffman said the Reagan Institute’s data on Ukraine has been “remarkably consistent over time.”
“So we started asking about Ukraine, about U.S. support and military assistance to the Ukrainian effort in its war against Russian aggression, and the numbers haven’t changed at all since 2022,” she said.
“Even as we have discussions in the media and on Capitol Hill about aiding Ukraine and policy leaders are having really important conversations, it’s really important to remember and recognize that the American people have made it very clear in those conversations that they want to continue to support our allies and friends around the world who are fighting aggression. And they want to do that by sending U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.”
Experts say Israel’s AI deployment in Gaza could help IDF reduce civilian casualties
An Israeli soldier hoists the Israeli flag on top of an armored personnel carrier (APC) near the Israel-Gaza border on April 15, 2024.
The survey also found that Americans believe the war-torn country of Israel should be supported by the U.S. in responding forcefully to the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion by Hamas militants.
“The vast majority of Republicans and Democrats want to support Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists in the Middle East,” Hof said.
A majority of Americans, 56%, say they support aid to Israel, compared with 35% who oppose it. Additionally, 68% say they would support the US sending a missile defense system to Israel to “help defend” against drone and missile attacks.
“The more Americans dig deep into what they want their government to do to support our allies and friends around the world, to fight tyranny and terrorism, to support people who fight for freedom and democracy, I think that number is only going to go up,” Hof said.
Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said they supported Israeli counterattacks against continuing Iranian aggression, while 31% said they opposed it.
Three-quarters of Americans, 75%, said they were concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Seventy-four percent say the war between Israel and Hamas is important to the security and prosperity of the United States, while 73% say the same about the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Americans are also concerned about China’s military buildup, with 82% saying they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned.
Other survey findings about China included concerns about the communist nation’s human rights violations (83%), technology theft (83%), overtaking the United States as a global superpower (75%) and isolating Taiwan (68%).
Hof said that based on past surveys by the Reagan Institute, public opinion on China has “changed and shifted significantly over time” and that an increasing number of Americans “view China as an adversary.”
“They’re concerned about technology theft, they’re concerned about economic activity, they’re concerned about human rights violations and abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, and they’re concerned about China’s military buildup,” she said.
On November 14, 2022, President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
Click here to get the FOX News app
A majority, 51%, said TikTok, a social media app owned by a Chinese company with close ties to the Chinese government, should be banned in the U.S. An additional 39% were opposed to banning the app, and 10% were unsure.
The survey was conducted May 20-May 27 among 1,257 U.S. adults.
