Our latest survey highlights American attitudes toward foreign policy, revealing strong but divided opinions on NATO, perceptions of global threats, the U.S. role in international affairs, and policies on Ukraine and foreign aid. Partisan and generational splits are evident throughout, shaping how voters engage with these issues. Here are our key takeaways:
NATO and US Security
Americans have mixed views on NATO but generally recognize its importance. 60% agree that “NATO is essential for the long-term security of the United States,” while 21% disagree. However, there’s significant division regarding financial obligations, with 42% agreeing the US should withdraw if members don’t meet their financial commitments, while 46% disagree. Republican voters believe we should withdraw from the organization if other members don’t meet their obligations by a margin of 78%-12%, while Democrats disagree with this statement 83%-9%.
Perception of Threats
A strong majority of Americans (61%) view China as a larger threat than Russia to the United States and its allies, while only 21% disagree with this assessment. This perception could influence support for policies addressing Chinese versus Russian aggression. Republicans universally see China as the larger threat (87% agree-3% disagree), but there is a clear divide between younger Democratic voters and their elders. Democratic voters aged 50 and older believe China is the larger threat by a margin of 50%-23%, while voters under 50 disagree by a margin of 54%-27%. There is also a clear divide between white Democrats, who see Russia as the larger threat 42%-33%, and Democratic voters of color, who agree China is the larger threat 48%-32%.
U.S. Role in the World
Americans still largely agree the U.S. is the leader of the free world and has an obligation to support democracies around the globe (58% agree-28% disagree). However, there is a clear divide generationally among Republicans—Republicans aged 50 and older believe America has a duty to democracies abroad by a slim margin (42% agree-38% disagree), while Trump voters under age 50 disagree with this statement by a margin of 59%-24%.
Americans are somewhat confident in US military capabilities, with 53% believing America has the resources to oppose both Russian and Chinese military aggression simultaneously. However, 29% disagree, suggesting concerns about overextension.
Ukraine Policy
Opinions on Ukraine policy are notably divided:
- 22% believe the US should not be involved at all.
- 30% support limited military assistance while pushing for a ceasefire.
- 28% favor increased military assistance with no strings attached.
- 12% support increased aid and potentially sending American troops.
Again, there is also a clear divide between older and younger Republicans: 67% of Trump voters under age 50 say the U.S. should not be involved in Ukraine at all, compared to just 29% of those 50 and older. Voters age 70 and older—the generation that came of age during the Vietnam War—are in general the least likely to say the U.S. should not be involved at all (11%) and also the least likely to say the U.S. should consider sending troops (4%); voters age 40-49 (who would have been in their teens and early 20s during the height of the Iraq War) were the most likely to say the U.S. should not be involved at all (38%). Voters under 40 were the most supportive of potentially sending U.S. troops—with 22% saying we should consider sending American soldiers to defend Ukraine—compared to just 5% of voters 50 and older.
Misconceptions About Foreign Aid
There are widespread misconceptions about US foreign aid spending:
- Only 11% correctly identified that foreign aid comprises less than 1% of the federal budget
- 52% believe it’s between 1-10% of the budget
- 29% believe it’s over 10% of the budget
These misconceptions likely contribute to the 48% who believe the US spends “too much” on foreign aid. But even among those who correctly identified that the U.S. spends less than 1% of its budget on foreign aid, 32% believe that is too much, and only 29% say the U.S. should spend more.
Trade and Economic Policy
Americans generally view free trade positively, with 63% believing free trade agreements help the US economy, while only 18% believe they hurt. This suggests broad support for international economic engagement despite skepticism about other aspects of foreign policy. Democrats seem to now hold a very positive view of trade (with 49% saying free trade helps our country “a lot” and 32% saying it helps “some,” and just 5% saying it hurts us), while Republicans are more divided (45% say it helps the U.S. vs 31% who say it hurts us).
You can find the weighted report here.
About The Survey
We conducted this survey nationwide from March 6-9, 2025. The sample size consists of 462 respondents with a margin of error of ±4.56%. The data is weighted by age, race, gender and education to be representative of US voters and provides insights into attitudes toward key foreign policy issues.
