An annual survey of more than 1,200 Americans of broad age, political, socioeconomic and regional backgrounds found that respondents were most concerned about the possibility of Iran building a nuclear weapon when compared to other national-security threats, according to data released Sunday.
Respondents also showed strong support for U.S. leadership on the world stage, including membership in NATO and intervention should China invade or blockade Taiwan, according to a survey conducted by the Reagan Institute in late May.
“When we asked what Americans view as the most important issues as it relates to U.S. security and prosperity, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was one that sort of outperformed every other issue we asked about, whether it’s potential war between China and Taiwan or even illegal immigration across the southern border,” Roger Zakheim, the institute’s director, told reporters on Tuesday.
Eighty-four percent of respondents said preventing a nuclear Iran matters to U.S. security, according to the data. That topped the 73 percent who agreed the war in Ukraine is a threat, the 75 percent who said the same of a war between China and Taiwan, and the 74 percent who said illegal immigration is a national-security issue—that last number down from 80 percent last year.
While the Iran question was new this year, that immigration number fell from 80 percent in last year’s survey.
The Iran question was new this year. Two-thirds of respondents supported U.S. talks with Iran to limit their nuclear ambitions. Just 45 percent supported striking the country if diplomacy fails.
“I think one of the things that we find very interesting about our poll is, for across many questions, the numbers fall down along quite partisan or quite distinct partisan lines, and on other questions, like the ones on American leadership…we see really broad bipartisan agreement across issues,” said Rachel Hoff, the institute’s policy director.
There is also some tension even within the same respondents, who said that they wanted more U.S. leadership and more specific engagement or presence around the world, but also said they think the U.S. should withdraw from the world order and focus more on domestic issues.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they want the U.S. to be more engaged in foreign policy and international events, up from from 57 percent in the institute’s fall 2024 survey and 54 percent a year ago. Two-thirds also agreed that U.S. leadership abroad is good for both the country and the world.
In a related question, 83 percent said the U.S. has a moral obligation to “stand up for human rights and decency whenever possible,” up from 77 percent for the same question a year ago.
On the other hand, a majority of respondents – many of whom would have had to have agreed with stronger U.S. leadership earlier in the study – also said the U.S. should withdraw from international affairs and focus more on homegrown concerns. That number came in at 57 percent, though it was down from 62 percent a year ago and 65 percent in 2023.
Respondents swing in the other direction again when asked about NATO. Just 33 percent said they would support U.S. withdrawal.
“There is some partisan distinction beneath this question,” Hoff said. “Seventy-five percent of Democrats oppose withdrawing from NATO, whereas that number for Republicans is 37 percent.”
Past surveys have asked about NATO favorability, Hoff added, with six out of 10 consistently in support. And 71 percent support coming to the aid of an attacked NATO ally.
Along the same lines, 59 percent supported the idea of increasing U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe to deter Russia.
Over in the Indo-Pacific, 70 percent of respondents said the U.S. should step in if China invades or blockades Taiwan, and that not doing so would telegraph a message that the U.S. doesn’t stand up for its allies.
This support for international involvement runs counter to a very vocal, more isolationist slice of the Republican party that aligns with the Make American Great Again movement. But the survey respondents were specifically asked about this: 24 percent identified with the Republican party, and 72 percent of those considered themselves “MAGA.”
“Those who are Republicans, those who vote for President Trump, those who vote for MAGA, really believe in robust U.S. leadership in the world that leads from strength,” Zakheim said, while “the isolationist camp, or slice of the MAGA movement, is just that – a minority slice that is not reflective of where the majority Republican voters are, or MAGA voters are, and that is consistent with we see in this survey and in the last survey.”
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