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2019 Chicago Council Survey Summary: Rejecting Retreat

Core Content

The 2019 Chicago Council Survey of American Public Opinion and US Foreign Policy challenges the widely held belief that Americans want to retreat from global engagement. Despite the Trump administration's "America First" rhetoric and the rise of progressive retrenchment ideas, the survey reveals strong public support for maintaining US involvement in international affairs, alliances, and trade.

Main Findings

• Americans Support an Active Role in World Affairs:

  • 69% of Americans believe it is best for the country's future to take an active part in world affairs.
  • This is the highest level of support recorded in the 45-year history of the survey.
  • Support is consistent across political lines:
    • 75% of Democrats
    • 64% of Independents
    • 69% of Republicans
  • The majority (61%) believe the benefits of the US global role outweigh the costs, with even higher support (78%) among those who favor active engagement.

• Shared Leadership Preferred Over Isolation:

  • 66% of Americans support a shared leadership role, up from 61% in 2017.
  • Only 26% want the US to be the dominant world leader, down from 32% in 2017.
  • 7% want the US to have no leadership role at all.
  • The idea of shared leadership is broadly accepted across party lines.

• Military Strength and Alliances Enhance Security:

  • 74% of Americans believe military alliances contribute to US safety.
  • 69% think maintaining US military superiority is important for security.
  • 51% support stationing troops in allied countries.
  • These views are consistent across political groups, with majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans endorsing them.

• Support for International Trade is Strong:

  • 87% of Americans believe international trade is good for the US economy.
  • 83% think it is good for American companies.
  • This represents a year-over-year increase in support across all political groups.
  • However, partisan differences emerge on tariffs:
    • 74% of Republicans support imposing tariffs on Chinese imports.
    • 66% of Democrats oppose such actions.
    • Independents are split (50% support).

• Military Interventions Seen as Less Effective:

  • Only 27% of Americans believe military interventions make the US safer.
  • 46% think gradual steps are better than immediate action.
  • Americans are more likely to support military action in specific cases such as:
    • Preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons (70%)
    • Fighting violent Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria (59%)
    • Defending NATO allies (54%)
    • Supporting allies in the face of threats (majorities across all parties)

• Partisan Divides on Key Issues:

  • Immigration:
    • 19% of Democrats see it as a critical threat.
    • 78% of Republicans do.
  • Climate Change:
    • 54% of Americans (78% of Democrats, 54% of Independents, 23% of Republicans) see it as a critical threat.
    • Only 20% of Republicans support immediate action.
  • China:
    • 54% of Republicans view China's rise as a critical threat.
    • 36% of Democrats and 40% of Independents do so.
    • This is the largest recorded partisan gap on this issue.

Key Policies Considered as Active Engagement

The survey asked respondents to define what they mean by an "active part in world affairs" and included the following key policies:

Conclusion

The survey concludes that Americans do not want to retreat from the world. Despite the rhetoric of "America First" and the perception of a "retrenchment" movement, the data shows that the public continues to support the foundational elements of US foreign policy: alliances, military strength, and international trade. The partisan divide on immigration, climate change, and China is significant, but these differences do not reflect a broad rejection of global engagement.

The survey reinforces the idea that the US must remain a global leader, not because it wants to dominate, but because it believes in shared leadership and the interconnected nature of the modern world. The public is clear that non-involvement is not an option, as it risks leaving vacuums for other powers like China, Russia, and Iran to fill.