Americans Stand Strong for Global Leadership and Alliances

In a time when global affairs seem increasingly complex, Americans have expressed a clear desire for their nation to remain a leading force on the world stage. According to the recently released annual Reagan National Defense Survey, which polled over 2,500 U.S. adults in late October and early November, a substantial majority of Americans support active U.S. engagement in global affairs. This sentiment extends to backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and defending Taiwan if necessary. The survey reveals that 64% of respondents believe the United States should “be more engaged and take the lead” internationally, while an overwhelming 87% consider it important for America to maintain the world’s most powerful military. These findings suggest a potential disconnect between public sentiment and the “America First” approach that characterized the previous Trump administration, highlighting instead a preference for robust international engagement built upon longstanding alliances.

When it comes to military capabilities, Americans demonstrate significant confidence in their armed forces relative to potential adversaries. A majority (55%) believe the U.S. maintains military superiority over China, while 44% support maintaining a military force capable of simultaneously winning separate wars against both China and Russia. The survey also revealed record high approval for NATO, with 68% of respondents holding a favorable view of the alliance. This strong support for military preparedness and international partnerships comes amid growing concerns about collaboration between authoritarian states, with 87% of Americans expressing worry about increasing cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. China continues to top Americans’ list of greatest threats (48%), followed by Russia (26%), reflecting persistent concerns about these major powers that transcend partisan lines.

Support for Ukraine and Taiwan stands out as particularly robust in the findings. Sixty-two percent of Americans, including majorities of both Republicans (57%) and Democrats (72%), want Ukraine to prevail against Russia, with support for sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine increasing nine points to 64%. Even more striking is the surge in willingness to defend Taiwan, with 70% supporting the movement of U.S. military assets to the region if China attacks (up 12 points), 71% favoring sending more military equipment (up 15 points), and 60% prepared to commit American forces to Taiwan’s defense (up 12 points). The Reagan Institute characterized this support as “strong, bipartisan, and growing,” indicating that Americans recognize the strategic importance of these democracies facing authoritarian pressure, even if translating public support into concrete government action remains complex.

While Americans broadly favor a strong international stance, the survey revealed interesting divisions on specific applications of military power. For example, 62% of Americans support using U.S. military force against suspected drug traffickers in Latin America and the Caribbean, but this breaks down sharply along partisan lines—90% of MAGA Republicans favor such action compared to only 36% of Democrats. Similarly, opinions on technological integration show evolving but still divided perspectives. A strong bipartisan majority (68%) supports increased federal spending on the Golden Dome missile defense system to protect the U.S. homeland. However, views on artificial intelligence in military applications remain ambiguous, with 27% seeing greater AI integration as positive (up from 20% in 2023) and 24% viewing it negatively (down from 27%), suggesting Americans are gradually becoming more comfortable with military AI but significant reservations persist.

Despite the strong support for America’s global role, the survey indicates concerning trends in public confidence in military institutions. Overall confidence in the U.S. military has declined significantly since the survey began in 2018, with only 49% of Americans reporting “a great deal of confidence” in the armed forces—down 21 points over six years, though stable compared to last year. More specifically, 49% of respondents expressed trust in the military’s ability to win an overseas war (up 5 points from 2022), and 45% believed in its capacity to deter foreign aggression (up 3 points). These modest improvements in specific metrics, contrasted with the longer-term decline in general confidence, suggest a complex relationship between the American public and its military institutions—one that acknowledges capabilities while perhaps questioning broader institutional effectiveness or alignment with public priorities.

The Reagan Institute characterized the survey results as evidence that “Americans want to reinforce, not retreat from, U.S. global interests and commitments.” They further noted that “the center of gravity in American public opinion remains aligned with the principles that guided President Ronald Reagan’s statecraft: strong alliances, military and technological overmatch, a robust domestic industrial base, and a belief that U.S. strength is essential to preserving peace and freedom.” This conclusion suggests that despite political polarization and fluctuating attitudes toward specific policies, most Americans continue to support core principles of strong defense, international leadership, and commitment to allies—particularly those on democracy’s front lines. As global tensions rise and authoritarian powers assert themselves more aggressively, these findings indicate that the American public broadly favors continued international engagement backed by military strength rather than retrenchment, even as opinions vary on specific applications and implementations of American power around the world.