Copyright © 2004 The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
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Eroding Respect for America Seen as Major Problem
- Only 34% say NAFTA and other trade agreements have
helped their own financial situation but 47% still believe such
agreements are beneficial to the US . 59% majority faults the
administration for being too quick to use force rather than trying hard
enough to reach diplomatic solutions.
For the first time since the Vietnam era, foreign affairs and national
security issues are looming larger than economic concerns in a
presidential election. The Sept. 11 attacks and the two wars that
followed not only have raised the stakes for voters as they consider
their choice for president, but also have created deep divisions and
conflicting sentiments over U.S. foreign policy in a troubled time.
Dissatisfaction with Iraq is shaping opinions about foreign policy as
much, if not more than, Americans' continuing concerns over terrorism.
Both attitudes now inform the public's point of view of the U.S. role
in the world. Tellingly, the poll finds about as many respondents
favoring a decisive foreign policy (62%) as supporting a cautious
approach (66%). And reflecting an ever-widening partisan gap on foreign
policy issues, Republicans assign higher priority to decisiveness than
to caution, while Democrats do just the opposite.
The new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press,
conducted in association with the Council on Foreign Relations, finds
the public is acutely aware of -- and worried about - the loss of
international respect for the United States given disillusionment over
Iraq. Two-thirds say the U.S. is less respected by other countries than
in the past, and this opinion is particularly prevalent among opponents
of the Iraq war.
The survey of foreign policy attitudes, conducted July 8-18 among 2,009 adults nationwide, also finds:
· While Americans have deep reservations over the war in Iraq, there is
continuing support for the doctrine of preemption. A 60% majority
believes that the use of military force can be at least sometimes
justified against countries that seriously threaten the U.S. but have
not attacked. This is only a slight decline from May 2003 (67%).
· A narrow majority of Americans (53%) believe that torture should
rarely or never be used to gain important information from suspected
terrorists, but a sizable minority (43%) thinks torture can at least
sometimes be justified under these circumstances.
· The public supports a cooperative stance toward America's allies. By
49%-37%, more people hold the view that the nation's foreign policy
should strongly take into account the interests of U.S. allies, rather
than be based mostly on the national interests of the United States.
· Continuing discontent with the way things are going in Iraq underlies
public criticism of the Bush administration's approach to national
security. A solid 59% majority faults the administration for being too
quick to use force rather than trying hard enough to reach diplomatic
solutions.
· Republicans and Democrats now hold sharply divergent views on a range
of foreign policy attitudes, even the root causes of the 9/11 attacks.
A growing number of Democrats (51%) and independents (45%) believe that
U.S. wrongdoing in dealings with other countries might have motivated
the 9/11 attacks. Republicans decisively reject that view.
· There has been a sharp decline in the percentage of Americans who
regard U.S. policies in the Middle East as fair -- 35% say that now,
down from 47% in May 2003. Attitudes on this issue also have become
increasingly polarized.
· The public remains divided over the impact of free trade. A 47%
plurality says NAFTA and other trade agreements have been good for the
U.S., but only 34% say such agreements have helped their own financial
situation.
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