CHENNAI: More than 70 per cent of Americans feel taking steps to protect the US from terrorism should be the country’s top foreign policy priority, according to a Pew Research Centre report, released on Friday. Promoting democracy in other countries, finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, ranked among the lowest.
The survey also brought to light a glaring partisan divide over foreign policy priorities.
While more Democrats prioritise building good ties with other countries (D: 72%, R: 47%) and strengthening the United Nations (D: 47%, R: 28%), fewer Republican-leaning voters place emphasis on these.
The divisions are far wider when it comes to tackling illegal immigration to the US or fighting climate change. About 68 per cent of the GOP-leaning participants of the survey consider reducing illegal immigration a top-range priority. In contrast, only 20 per cent Democrats feel the same. Likewise, while 64 per cent Democrats are convinced that dealing with climate change should take immediate priority, only 22 per cent of the Republicans concurred.
Supporters of the two parties also differ on the question of which country poses the biggest threat to the US. Interestingly, while 52 per cent the Democrat-leaning respondents feel the US should strive to limit the power Russia, only 32 per cent of their conservative counterparts feel the same. However, when it comes to countries like China, North Korea, and Iran, more Republicans than Democrats feel the US should seek to curtail their influences.
Foreign policy views also diverge depending on the age of the respondents. For instance, young people are less likely to say the US should try to limit the power of a foreign country, according to Pew. This is probably because doing so often leads to huge defense spending and might even lead to war, which would strain the nation’s purse, and by extension, the job market.
Also, more young adults place emphasis on promoting human rights abroad than older people. While 41 per cent respondents in the age group 18-29 say the US should promote and defend human rights in other countries, only 23 per cent of those above the age of 65 agreed. The same applies to helping refugees fleeing violence or people facing genocide with more young people demanding their country deem it a priority.
However, overall, only 31 per cent Americans feel protecting human rights of people abroad should be a US priority. Likewise, a mere 26 per cent said their country should help refugees.