A majority of Americans want the United States to lead on the global stage with a strong military. A significant number of them are in favor of increasing national defense spending, according to the latest “Reagan” National Defense Survey.
Despite electing a president who campaigned on an “America First” agenda focusing on domestic issues such as the U.S. economy and securing the southern border, 57% of respondents said this year they want to see the U.S. more engaged and take on a larger leadership role in international affairs, up from 42% a year ago.
Nearly 80% of Americans surveyed support increasing government spending on the U.S. military, a slight rise from last year. The increase in military spending ranked higher than other foreign policy priorities such as promoting freedom abroad (61%) and providing aid to other countries (43%).
“The Reagan National Defense Surveys show 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 advisory board for the survey and director at the Center for Military and Political Power at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Voice of America on Friday.
The Ronald Reagan Institute has conducted public opinion surveys on national security over the past six years, and the latest survey, published Thursday, included a bipartisan sample of around 2,500 Americans who were polled two days after the November presidential election.
A majority of respondents expressed support for continuing U.S. security assistance to Ukraine and allowing Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike within Russia. Nearly 60% of respondents believe the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end with Ukraine negotiating peace, even if that means giving up some of its sovereign territory.
Support for Ukraine varied significantly between Democratic voters, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris’ supporters, and Republican voters, particularly those supporting President-elect Donald Trump. 74% of voters for Harris supported sending assistance, compared to only 42% of voters for Trump.
An overwhelming 80% view Russia as an adversary.
For Israel, 54% of respondents supported continued U.S. aid, but Americans were divided 45% to 45% on whether Israel has the right to continue military operations or if its military action in Gaza has lasted long enough and should move to a ceasefire.
About half of respondents believe the U.S. would prevail in a conflict with China, with nearly the same number thinking China represents the biggest threat to the U.S.
If China were to invade Taiwan, nearly three-quarters of respondents said the U.S. should officially recognize Taiwan as an independent country. Two-thirds agreed that the U.S. should respond with economic sanctions against China, and over half (56%) supported sending more military equipment to Taiwan and increasing military units, such as aircraft carriers, to the region.
A majority of Americans surveyed believe the U.S. military should be large enough to win two wars simultaneously.
