Public Sees U.S. Power Declining As Support for Global Engagement Slips America’S Place in the World 2013
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NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD In association with the Council on Foreign Relations FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 3, 2013 Public Sees U.S. Power Declining as Support for Global Engagement Slips America’s Place in the World 2013 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT: Michael Dimock, Director, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Carroll Doherty, Associate Director Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Senior Researcher Russ Oates, Communications Manager 202.419.4372 www.pewresearch.org RECOMMENDED CITATION: Pew Research Center, December 2013, “America’s Place in the World 2013” 1 PEW RESEARCH CENTER About This Report This is the sixth edition of the Pew Research Center’s quadrennial “America’s Place in the World” survey, which was first conducted in 1993. This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals. Find related reports online at pewresearch.org/politics. Michael Dimock, Director, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Carroll Doherty, Associate Director, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Senior Researcher Cathy Barker, Research Analyst Jocelyn Kiley, Senior Researcher James Bell, Director of International Andrew Kohut, Founding Director Survey Research Besheer Mohamed, Research Associate Jodi Enda, Senior Writer Seth Motel, Research Assistant Matt Frei, Research Assistant Bruce Stokes, Director of Global Economic Attitudes Danielle Gewurz, Research Analyst Rob Suls, Research Associate Jeffrey Gottfried, Research Associate Alec Tyson, Research Associate Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Richard Wike, Director of Global Attitudes Research Research This report would not have been possible without the contribution of the following people at the Council on Foreign Relations: Richard N. Haass, President; James M. Lindsay, Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair; Iva Zoric, Director of Global Communications; Julie Jenkins, Deputy Director, Membership Administration Field work for the general public survey and the survey of members of the Council on Foreign Relations was ably carried out by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. www.pewresearch.org 2 PEW RESEARCH CENTER About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The center studies U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and U.S. social and demo- graphic trends. All of the center’s reports are available at www.pewresearch.org. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Alan Murray, President Jon Cohen, Vice President, Research Elizabeth Mueller Gross, Vice President Paul Taylor, Executive Vice President, Special Projects Andrew Kohut, Founding Director © Pew Research Center 2015 www.pewresearch.org 3 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Table of Contents About This Report 1 About Pew Research Center 2 Overview: Public Sees U.S. Power Declining as Support for Global Engagement Slips 4 Section 1: America’s Global Role 15 Section 2: Views of Trade and the Global Economy 23 Section 3: Long-Range Foreign Policy Goals 27 Section 4: The Threat of Terrorism and Civil Liberties 31 Section 5: Public Views of Selected Countries 35 Section 6: Views of Council on Foreign Relations Members 38 The Public’s Mixed Message on America’s Role in the World 52 Commentary by James M. Lindsay and Rachael Kauss of the Council on Foreign Relations About the Surveys 55 Survey Toplines 58 www.pewresearch.org 4 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Overview: Public Sees U.S. Power Declining as Support for Global Engagement Slips America’s Place in the World 2013 Growing numbers of Americans believe that U.S. global power and prestige are in decline. And support for U.S. global engagement, already near a historic low, has fallen further. The public thinks that the nation does too much to solve world problems, and increasing percentages want the U.S. to “mind its own business internationally” and Views of U.S. Global Power Fall to 40-Year Low pay more attention to U.S. role today as world leader is … problems here at home. Less important 53 and powerful Yet this reticence is not an role than 10 45 years ago expression of across-the- 41 board isolationism. Even as 39 doubts grow about the United States’ geopolitical role, most 25 Americans say the benefits 28 from U.S. participation in the 17 More important and powerful global economy outweigh the 20 role than 10 risks. And support for closer years ago trade and business ties with other nations stands at its highest point in more than a 1974 1984 1994 2004 2013 decade. Source: America’s Place in the World 2013. General public. “About as important a role as world leader” responses not shown. 1974-1990 data from These are among the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. PEW RESEARCH CENTER principal findings of America’s Place in the World, a quadrennial survey of foreign policy attitudes conducted in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a nonpartisan membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy. www.pewresearch.org 5 PEW RESEARCH CENTER The survey of the general public, conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 6 among 2,003 adults, finds that Majority Says U.S. Should ‘Mind Its Own views of U.S. global importance and power Business Internationally’ have passed a key milestone. For the first time % agreeing that ‘the U.S. should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best in surveys dating back nearly 40 years, a they can on their own’ majority (53%) says the United States plays a less important and powerful role as a world 52 leader than it did a decade ago. The share (2013) saying the U.S. is less powerful has increased 43 (1976) 41 12 points since 2009 and has more than (1995) doubled – from just 20% – since 2004. An even larger majority says the U.S. is losing 30 respect internationally. Fully 70% say the (2002) United States is less respected than in the past, 20 which nearly matches the level reached late in (1964) former President George W. Bush’s second term (71% in May 2008). Early last year, fewer Americans (56%) thought that the U.S. had 1964 1974 1984 1994 2004 2013 become less respected globally. Source: America’s Place in the World 2013. General public: PEW2d (Omnibus). 1964-1991 data from Gallup. Foreign policy, once a relative strength for PEW RESEARCH CENTER President Obama, has become a target of substantial criticism. By a 56% to 34% margin more disapprove than approve of his handling of foreign policy. The public also disapproves of his handling of Syria, Iran, China and Afghanistan by wide margins. On terrorism, however, more approve than disapprove of Obama’s job performance (by 51% to 44%). The public’s skepticism about U.S. international engagement – evident in America’s Place in the World surveys four and eight years ago – has increased. Currently, 52% say the United States “should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own.” Just 38% disagree with the statement. This is the most lopsided balance in favor of the U.S. “minding its own business” in the nearly 50-year history of the measure. www.pewresearch.org 6 PEW RESEARCH CENTER After the recent near-miss with U.S. military action against Syria, the NATO mission in Two-Thirds Say Greater U.S. Involvement Libya and lengthy wars in Afghanistan and In Global Economy Is a Good Thing Iraq, about half of Americans (51%) say the Greater U.S. involvement in global economy is a … United States does too much in helping solve world problems, while just 17% say it does too Bad thing because it Good thing because it little and 28% think it does the right amount. exposes the U.S. to exposes the U.S. to new greater economic markets and opportunities When those who say the U.S. does “too much” risks and uncertainty for growth internationally are asked to describe in their 25% 66% own words why they feel this way, nearly half 8% (47%) say problems at home, including the economy, should get more attention. Don't know But the public expresses no such reluctance about U.S. involvement in the global economy. Fully 77% say that growing trade and business Source: America’s Place in the World 2013. General public: Q41. ties between the United States and other PEW RESEARCH CENTER countries are either very good (23%) or somewhat good (54%) for the U.S. Just 18% have a negative view. Support for increased Mixed Views of Specific Impact of trade and business connections has increased Global Economic Engagement 24 points since 2008, during the economic Would each mostly help or mostly hurt the U.S. economy? recession. Mostly Mostly Other/ help hurt DK By more than two-to-one, Americans see more % % % More foreign companies setting benefits than risks from greater involvement in up operations in the U.S. 62 32 5=100 the global economy. Two-thirds (66%) say More U.S. companies setting up operations overseas 23 73 4=100 greater involvement in the global economy is a More people from other good thing because it opens up new markets countries coming to the U.S. to work in high-skilled jobs 46 50 4=100 and opportunities for growth. Just 25% say that More people from other countries coming to the U.S.