{"id":300713,"date":"2026-04-28T13:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:56:25","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:08:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T16:08:04","slug":"most-americans-now-say-u-s-foreign-policy-ignores-the-interests-of-other-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2026\/04\/28\/most-americans-now-say-u-s-foreign-policy-ignores-the-interests-of-other-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Americans Now Say U.S. Foreign Policy Ignores the Interests of Other Countries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Democrats and Republicans express very different views of America\u2019s global standing<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"\"
American flags are displayed on the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2025. (Kevin Carter\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center report looks at Americans\u2019 views of the current world order and what role the United States and other nations play in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis builds on our decades of survey research about how Americans see U.S. engagement in the world and how its influence might be changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this report, we surveyed 3,507 adults from March 23 to 29, 2026. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel<\/a>. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the questions used<\/a> for this report, the detailed responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Since 2002, we have asked Americans to what extent they think the United States takes into account the interests of other countries when making foreign policy decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And for the first time, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that a majority (53%) believe the U.S. does not consider other countries\u2019 interests much or at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This share is up sharply from 27% in 2023, during Joe Biden\u2019s administration, with most of the change taking place among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three-in-four Democrats now say the U.S. ignores the interests of other nations \u2013 the largest share we\u2019ve measured in surveys going back two decades. Still, 61% of Democrats expressed this view in Donald Trump\u2019s first term, as did roughly half toward the end of George W. Bush\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republican views have remained relatively consistent over time. In fact, for as long as we\u2019ve asked this question, at least two-thirds of Republicans and Republican leaners have said the U.S. considers other countries\u2019 interests a great deal or a fair amount when making foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is just one of several questions about America\u2019s role on the global stage where we find drastically different views between Democrats and Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Republicans tend to see a world in which the U.S. contributes to peace and stability, takes into account the interests of other countries, is respected and has a growing influence in international affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, Democrats tend to see a world in which the U.S. does not contribute to peace and stability, ignores the interests of other nations and is not respected. And most say its influence in the world is waning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisans also differ in their views of the U.S. as a global superpower. When asked to list the countries they see as both militarily and economically dominant in the world, about two-thirds of Republicans name the U.S., significantly more than the roughly four-in-ten who name China. Democrats are about equally likely to name the U.S. (53%) and China (49%) as global superpowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also some notable differences within<\/em> the two parties \u2013 in particular, differences by age among Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Younger Republicans are generally less likely than their older counterparts to think that the U.S. is respected and growing in influence, and that it considers the interests of other nations when making foreign policy decisions. They also name the U.S. as a global superpower less often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous Center analyses based on this survey have highlighted age gaps among Republicans on other foreign policy issues as well. For instance, younger Republicans are less likely to express confidence in President Donald Trump\u2019s ability to deal with Iran, Israel and NATO<\/a>, among other issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been notable changes in recent years on some of the questions included in this report, including along partisan lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n