Few Americans view promoting democracy or economic development in other countries as highly important, a recent Gallup survey found.
The survey, taken February 3-16, 2025, found that the foreign policy preferences of Americans have remained relatively unchanged from the start of President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017 until now.
Per Gallup [emphasis added]:
The public is united in thinking the nation’s top priorities should be preventing terrorism, curtailing nuclear proliferation and securing energy supplies. Smaller majorities want the U.S. to pursue favorable trade deals and work with organizations like the United Nations to bring about global cooperation. Relatively few, on the other hand, rate promoting democracy or economic development in other countries as highly important, although there are sharp partisan differences in views on this group of goals.
More specifically, the vast majority, 84 percent, are united in believing that preventing future acts of international terrorism is “very important.” Eighty-three percent believe preventing the spread of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction are “very important,” and 78 percent believe it is “very important” to secure adequate supplies of energy for America. Most also support promoting favorable trade prices and working with organizations like NATO as well.
However, just 28 percent view promoting economic development in other countries as “highly important.” Similarly, only 32 percent think it is “highly important” to help other countries build democracies. Less than half, 48 percent, view promoting and defending human rights in other countries as “highly important.”
As Gallup reported:
Longer term, Republicans’ and Democrats’ views on helping other countries build democracies have flipped since one point during the Iraq War. Currently, Democrats (47%) are much more likely than Republicans (21%) to rate it as very important. This is a near reversal of attitudes in 2005, when the U.S. was attempting to install a democratic government in Iraq under George W. Bush, after the Bush administration overthrew Saddam Hussein.
The reality of this sentiment comes as Democrats sound the alarm over defunding of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday that after a six-week review, 83 percent of USAID programs are being cancelled.
“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve (and in some cases even harmed) the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio said.
“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18 percent of programs we are keeping (approximately 1,000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department,” he continued, thanking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for its work in uncovering rampant waste and abuse.
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“Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,” Rubio said.
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