According to the most recent Reagan National Defense Survey, a majority of Americans want the United States to lead the world stage with a strong military, and a supermajority wants to increase national defense spending.
Even though Americans elected a president who ran with an “America First” agenda focused on domestic issues ranging from the U.S. economy to securing the U.S. southern border, 57% of respondents said who wanted to see the United States more engaged and taking the lead in international events this year, compared to 42% a year ago.
Nearly 80% of Americans surveyed supported increased government spending on the U.S. military, a slight increase from last year. Increased military spending ranked well above some of the United States’ other foreign policy priorities, such as promoting freedom abroad (61%) and providing foreign aid (43%).
“The Reagan National Defense Survey demonstrates once again that Americans are not pacifists and we are not isolationists. We want a federal government that serves American interests and protects our country,” Bradley Bowman, a member of the survey advisory board and senior director of the Center for Military and Political Power at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
The Ronald Reagan Institute has surveyed American public opinion on national security for the past six years, and the latest survey, released Thursday, included a bipartisan sample of about 2,500 Americans who were surveyed two days after the November presidential election.
Most respondents said they supported continued U.S. security support for Ukraine and allowing Ukraine to fire U.S. weapons inside Russia, and nearly 60% believed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would end with Ukraine negotiating peace, even if that means giving up part of its sovereign territory.
Support for Ukraine varied widely between voters of Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate President-elect Donald Trump: 74% of Harris voters support sending aid, compared to 42% % of Trump voters.
A supermajority (80%) sees Russia as an adversary.
Regarding Israel, 54% of respondents supported continuing US aid, but Americans were divided 45% to 45% on whether Israel has the right to continue military action or whether Israel’s military action in Gaza has gone on long enough and must become a ceasefire.
About half of those surveyed believe the United States would prevail in a conflict with China, and nearly as many see China as the biggest threat to the United States.
If China were to invade Taiwan, nearly three-quarters of respondents said the United States should officially recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, two-thirds agree the United States should respond with economic sanctions against China, and more than half support sending more military equipment to Taiwan (56%) and the transfer of more military assets, such as aircraft carriers, to the region (58%).
Most Americans surveyed believe the U.S. military should be large enough to win two wars simultaneously.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.
Add Comment