The Institute for Global Affairs’ New Poll Reveals Areas of Sharp Difference and Surprising Unity in American’s Foreign Policy Views

Eurasia Group Foundation’s fifth annual survey highlights American voters’ polarized views on Ukraine, China, arms sales, military intervention, and more.

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — As the United States responds to Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising tensions with China, a politically polarized election season and economic turbulence at home, the Eurasia Group Foundation released this week its fifth annual survey of Americans’ foreign policy views. They surveyed more than 2,000 voting-age Americans online with detailed questions about U.S. foreign policy and America’s global role.

EGF’s survey reveals an American electorate with very distinct visions of American exceptionalism and what American engagement around the world should like. The survey highlights how political affiliation, military service, age, and gender impact what — and who — gets prioritized.

Top takeaways include:

• On the Russia-Ukraine War: More survey takers think the US responded well to Russia’s war in Ukraine than think it did not—nearly 40 percent compared to 25 percent, respectively.
• On Article Five: Most think the United States should militarily defend Finland were it to join NATO and be attacked by Russia. More Democrats (73 percent) than Republicans (61 percent) would keep this Article 5 commitment to NATO.

We hope those inside the Beltway use this survey to make the activities they pursue more sensitive to – and informed by – the opinions of their constituents, and to bridge the gap between the concerns of policymakers and those of ordinary Americans.”

Mark Hannah, Senior Fellow, EGF

• On the Iran Nuclear Deal: Nearly 80 percent support the Biden administration negotiating a return to the Iran nuclear deal. That support is notably bipartisan: more than 70 percent of Republicans believed the US should continue to pursue these negotiations.
• On Nuclear Weapons: Nearly 75 percent are concerned with nuclear weapons. Respondents who have served or are currently serving in the military are significantly less concerned than those without military experience.
• On War Powers: Roughly 80 percent believe the president’s war-making abilities should be more restricted by Congress, representing a consecutive two-year increase.
• On Arms Sales: Nearly 69 percent oppose the continuation of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia. 53 percent of 18- to 29-year-old respondents oppose US arms sales to Israel, compared to majorities in older age groups which support those arms sales.
• On Troops in Asia: 55.4 percent of respondents think the United States should increase its military presence in Asia in response to a rising China—a five percent increase from last year. A majority of respondents ages 18 to 29 think the US should reduce its military presence in Asia, while majorities in all other age groups want to increase the US troop presence there.
• On Afghanistan: Nearly two-thirds of respondents think the most important lesson from the war in Afghanistan was that the United States should not be in the business of nation-building or that it should only send troops into harm’s way if vital national interests are threatened.

“We began this survey five years ago because we believed lawmakers and foreign policy leaders conducting foreign policy on behalf of the American people would benefit from a window into their opinions and priorities,” said Mark Hannah, senior fellow at Eurasia Group Foundation. “We hope those inside the Beltway use this survey to make the activities they pursue more sensitive to — and informed by — the opinions of their constituents, and to bridge the gap between the concerns of policymakers and those of ordinary Americans.”

Eurasia Group Foundation’s 2022 survey, “Rethinking American Strength: What Divides (and Unites) Voting-Age Americans,” is the latest in a series of annual polls measuring U.S. public opinion on foreign policy. The survey was conducted from September 2 to September 8, 2022, among a geographically and demographically diverse national sample of 2,002 adults.

The report can be found online here: https://egfound.org/2022/10/rethinking-american-strength/#full-report

It can be downloaded as a printable PDF here:
http://egfound.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-09-Rethinking-American-Strength.pdf

For more information or to request interviews, contact Mark Hannah at hannah@egfound.org.

EGF is a nonprofit public education organization committed to helping people make sense of geopolitics and to empower them to participate in geopolitical and foreign policy debates. EGF makes complex issues accessible through dynamic multimedia content, events and meetings, public-facing reports and surveys, podcasts, and social media engagement.

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This press release includes references and links that pertain to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now known as the Institute for Global Affairs.