USGLC

Most believe the world is becoming less stable and the United States is also moving in the wrong direction. 

• Nearly eight in ten say the world today is becoming less stable (79%), while a smaller majority say the United States is off on the wrong track (65%).

From the outset, 8 in 10 voters say the U.S. should play a leading (41%) or major role (40%) on the global stage. 

• Only 10% said the U.S. should play a minor role on the global stage, and 3% think the U.S. should play no role at all.

When choosing two top concerns about America’s adversaries working together, two rise to the top of the list: China and Russia holding joint air-naval drills, and North Korea providing weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine.

Nearly all voters find the potential impacts of America’s adversaries working together to be concerning. Rivals creating chaos and instability and rivals pooling their resources to threaten U.S. security top the list.

Most see investing in American diplomacy to prevent future conflicts as a top priority, along with a smart balance of diplomacy and global development, alongside defense (though more than 80% agree that all actions should be a priority for the U.S.).

When considering American priorities around the world, 7 in 10 believe the U.S. needs to be engaged in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to advance our own economic interests.

• The priority of strengthening partnerships in our hemisphere to keep our nation secure garners the most agreement (80% agree, 45% strongly agree).

View Full Survey Results Here

FGS Global and Mercury Analytics conducted a rapid poll of n=1,000 likely voters nationwide and n=300 likely voters in swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) from September 11-13, 2024. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.1 percentage points for the national sample, and +/- 5.6 for swing states. Topline results are highlighted below; all data below is based on the core sample of 1,000 likely voters.